The Steep Price of Digital Addiction! Meta Fined Billions for Harming Children's Mental Health.

Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency: On average, an American spends approximately 4 to 5 hours a day staring at a smartphone screen. For many, the mobile phone is the very first thing they look at upon waking up and their final companion before going to sleep at night. However, in recent times, significant legal actions and startling revelations have emerged regarding the excessive influence of social media in the United States. Last month, a California court ordered Meta and YouTube to pay $6 million in damages to a young woman. The woman's lawyers successfully demonstrated in court that she had become severely addicted to these platforms. Similarly, a court in New Mexico fined Meta $375 million for causing harm to children's mental health.

Although the companies involved have appealed against these verdicts, experts believe that the tide has begun to turn. Awareness regarding the misuse of social media is growing, and various scientific studies are emerging to support these concerns. A study published last year in *PNAS Nexus* revealed that a digital detox lasting just two weeks can reduce cognitive decline—the deterioration of the brain's cognitive abilities—by the equivalent of 10 years. In this experiment, involving 467 participants, it was observed that blocking internet access on their smartphones led to a remarkable improvement in their mood and attention span.

Researchers noted that, compared to computers, smartphone usage tends to become far more compulsive and mindless. The addiction to using phones is so intense that it disrupts even social activities such as having dinner, going for a walk, or watching a movie. The study showed that, over the two-week period, the participants' average online time dropped from 314 minutes to 161 minutes. According to the researchers, the improvement in attention span resulting from this behavioral shift is equivalent to reversing 10 years of age-related mental decline.

A recent study conducted by Harvard Medical School further indicated that even a brief respite from smartphones can make a significant difference. According to a study published in *JAMA Network Open*, reducing smartphone usage for just one week leads to a significant decline in issues such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia. However, Harvard researcher John Torous notes that this effect is not uniform across all individuals. Consequently, the primary objective for scientists now is to identify precisely who is most susceptible to—or at risk from—social media.

Administrative initiatives have also commenced globally to combat the detrimental effects of social media. In Massachusetts, legislation is currently being processed with the aim of banning social media access for individuals under the age of 14. Meanwhile, Indonesia has also imposed a ban on the use of these platforms by those under 16. Based on an analysis of court rulings and emerging scientific data, it appears that a new chapter is about to unfold globally in the battle against digital addiction.