TEXOMA (KXII) – Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, reached an $18 billion settlement this week with 48 U.S. states following years of legal battles over the platforms’ impact on young users.
The states alleged Meta designed its apps to hook users, contributing to social media addiction and the broader youth mental health crisis.
Beyond the payout, Meta says it will add new safety features for its youngest users, including daily time limits for anyone under 18, stronger age-verification tools and quiet hours during which minors cannot access the apps at all.
Will new rules be enough?
Dr. Stephanie Waitt, a therapist and director at Texoma Specialty Counseling, said she is not convinced rules alone will solve the underlying problem.
“It really is a monster,” Waitt said. “So how are we teaching people to engage with this thing that exists?”
Waitt said social media has real benefits, including connecting people and communities, but the risks for children are significant.
“It’s been a red flag for a long time. We see it cause anxiety, there’s this constant comparison that happens and that just creates self esteem problems, lack of sense of self,” she said. “We should not be witnessing these things — the violence, the way that people communicate with each other online.”
Waitt said the repeated exposure can act like a slow accumulation of harm.
“The therapist in me is like, are those little teeny traumas, honestly, that just over time are causing this overexposure to stress. And we know what overexposure to stress does. That causes health issues for people,” she said.
What parents can do
Waitt said limits and structure should start at home — and with parents themselves.
“Rules and structure and limits around social media use — I think it starts at the top. Adults, we have to rein in our social media and phone use because kids are seeing it and watching it,” she said.
She compared monitoring a child’s online activity to supervising their in-person friendships.
“Would you always let Susie that she’s chatting with online be over at your house 24/7 hanging out with your kid?,” Waitt said. “No, you would have ‘this is when you can hang out with Susie and this is when it’s not Susie time.’”
Waitt said access to social media should be treated as an earned responsibility rather than an unlimited default.
“It always comes back to the individual that’s engaging with the content and how they engage with it too. It should be a thing that it’s a responsibility that you’ve earned in some kind of way, not just this unlimited access to this thing,” she said.
Local advocacy groups respond
Britney Barker, executive director of the Grayson County Children’s Advocacy Center, said Meta’s changes are a welcome step but not a replacement for parental involvement.
“New protections from social media platforms are important, but no setting or age restriction can replace an involved, informed parent,” Barker said. “Parents should know which platforms their children use, regularly review privacy and messaging settings with them, and keep the conversation open so children feel safe coming to them if something online makes them uncomfortable. The goal isn’t just to monitor children; it’s to help them recognize unsafe behavior and know they will not be in trouble for asking for help.”
Ginger Johnson, executive director of Abigail’s Arms Family Crisis Center, said the settlement marks progress but ongoing education remains essential.
“I think this is a great start helping stop children getting connected and addicted to social media,” Johnson said. “The education to parents and children alike will continue to be key to helping children and youth navigate this critical area of social skills and mental health.”
Bottom line
Waitt said the core message for families is simple.
“It’s just another thing that we need boundaries with and around.”
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