TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Meta has reached a $17 billion settlement over claims that “addictive” features on Instagram and Facebook are harming children.
Arizona is one of several states involved in legal action against the company. Attorney General Kris Mayes released a statement last week saying, in part, “Arizona joined this case because our children’s safety online shouldn’t depend on a company’s bottom line, and we will not stop fighting until Meta is held fully accountable.”
As the legal battle continues, doctors say social pressure on students is increasing as school resumes, and they want parents to know the warning signs.
Dr. Catalina Uribe Rini, a child psychologist with Banner University Medical Center, said teens are transitioning into their own identities as they start a new school year, listening to parents less, and to friends and online voices more.
“We don’t really realize how algorithms work behind the scenes. And so sometimes kids will get looped into a cycle of hearing the same things over and over again that may not be as helpful to them and may also not be realistic,” Uribe Rini said.
Uribe Rini said students aged 12 to 15 are the most at risk, especially those starting high school. She said parents should watch for any “change from baseline” behavior that lasts more than two weeks.
“They may even develop parasocial relationships. So thinking about how they believe that they are close friends with influencers or now with AI also creating relationships with non-human figures,” Uribe Rini said.
Uribe Rini recommends students set physical barriers, such as screen limits on phones and sleeping with devices in a different room.
She also encourages parents to validate their child’s feelings, saying what seems like “drama” to an adult can be a major life event to a teen.
Schools can help by creating space for real connection during the school day.
“Just increasing the amount of time that they’re able to spend talking with each other. So whether that means group projects or assignments or clubs or anything that sort of forces connection at first, fosters connection later,” Uribe Rini said.
If parents notice their student is struggling, experts recommend approaching them with curiosity and involving them in the decision-making process for seeking help rather than forcing it.
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