Elizabeth Cardner, a mother of two from Houston, Texas, views Meta’s latest restrictions on adolescent platform usage as a positive step toward acknowledging the inherent risks of social media.
However, she expressed concern to the BBC that these measures may lack long-term efficacy.
“While it might reduce household friction, it simply isn’t a sufficient solution,” she remarked.
Meta recently introduced a series of new guardrails across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. These changes follow an $18bn (£13.25bn) settlement with various US states regarding the impact of social media on minor users.
The company’s new policy includes a daily two-hour usage limit, the concealment of like counts, the disabling of video autoplay, and the silencing of push notifications during school hours. Additionally, Meta will ban extreme makeup filters, enhance age-verification protocols, and improve parental controls. To ensure compliance, an independent auditor will be appointed to monitor the implementation of these safeguards.
While many American parents welcome these updates, significant skepticism remains. Many interviewed by the BBC described a sense of helplessness, feeling caught between the necessity of digital connectivity for their children and the desire to protect them from psychological harm. Consequently, many are waiting to see if these regulations yield tangible results.
Paige, Cardner’s 14-year-old daughter, hopes the restrictions will foster “more real-life scenarios” and reduce the prevalence of “fake content.” Both she and her sister support the removal of extreme filters and the hiding of engagement metrics.
Nevertheless, Paige believes these benefits may be temporary due to the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence.
“Users will likely find alternative ways to utilize fake filters or manipulate their photos and videos,” she noted. “I think it will provide some relief until people find new tools to bypass these rules.”
Cardner noted that completely prohibiting her daughters from using social media would only lead to social isolation from their peer groups.
“It feels like a lose-lose situation,” she said. “I don’t see a way to truly win here.”