Last week, back-to-back verdicts in separate court cases held social media giants Meta and YouTube liable for the addictive nature of their products.
On March 25, a Los Angeles jury found that Instagram and YouTube contributed to a young woman’s addiction and caused emotional harm, holding both platforms negligent for failing to protect minors. The plaintiff, a now 20-year-old woman identified as K.G.M., cited features like infinite scroll and algorithmic recommendations as the cause of her addictions, claiming they led to anxiety and depression. The jury awarded her $4.2 million in combined compensatory and punitive damages from Meta, and $1.8 million from YouTube.
The day before, a New Mexico jury concluded that Meta had violated state law by harming children’s mental health and failing to adequately address known risks on its platforms. In the nearly seven-week trial, state prosecutors argued that “Meta — which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp — prioritized profits over safety, and violated parts of the state’s Unfair Practices Act.” Meta will pay a $375 million penalty.
The cases are just two of thousands filed against the social media giants. They reflect a growing willingness among parents, schools, and lawmakers to examine how social media platforms are designed and the role they play in shaping users’ experiences, especially those of children and teens. These decisions are part of a broader shift—legal, political, and cultural—unfolding across the United States and around the world. It is one that, as followers of Christ, we are glad to see happening!
A Global Movement Gains Momentum
The movement to protect young people is gaining traction in the United States. Lawmakers from both parties have proposed measures to limit how platforms interact with minors, including restrictions on algorithm-driven content and stronger age protections. The U.S. Surgeon General has also called for warning labels on social media, reflecting growing concern about mental health risks for young users.
Countries across Europe, Asia, and Latin America are also exploring ways to limit children’s access to social media or reshape how platforms operate. Governments are increasingly taking a more active role in guiding how young people engage with digital environments.
Australia has taken one of the most decisive steps so far, passing legislation that sets a minimum age (16) for social media use and requiring platforms to enforce it. Indonesia is implementing design-based regulations this week that restrict children under 16 from accessing social media, gaming, and AI chatbots.
What’s at Stake for the Next Generation
If you’ve spent any time around young people recently, you know the irresistible draw that smartphones and social media have on them (and on adults, for that matter). The results are concerning, to say the least. Many young people experience high levels of anxiety, disrupted sleep, shortened attention spans, and a growing reliance on digital interaction. Rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and suicide have skyrocketed since smartphones and social media were introduced around 2010.
Social media platforms are designed to capture attention and encourage ongoing engagement. Continuous scrolling, algorithm-driven feeds, and frequent notifications keep young people—and many adults—constantly returning to the platforms. Addictive behavior is common.
Researchers such as Jonathan Haidt have drawn attention to how smartphone-based childhoods are shaping social and emotional development. He points to the role of constant connectivity, algorithm-driven content, and social feedback loops in shaping how young people form their identities and relationships.
A Spiritual Crisis
These trends are especially concerning from a biblical perspective.
As Christians, our thoughts and identities are to be shaped by truth and holiness—not worldly entertainment or inputs. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).
Yet, according to a Gallup poll, teens spend nearly five hours a day on social media. The amount of time they spend on Bible reading can be counted in minutes, if at all. Adults don’t do much better—most spend over two hours a day on social media. The devil has clearly skewed our priorities!
The apostle Paul’s words to the young man Timothy fit us all too well. We are “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:4).
So what can we do about this spiritual crisis? Are there ways to keep social media from taking over our lives or the lives of the young people we care about? Yes!
When young people learn to walk with God, social media loses its pull.
What Can Parents and Caring Adults Do?
Start by surrendering your own electronics and social media usage to God. Every day, ask God to be Lord of your life. Commit to using your devices only for God’s glory. With David, determine, “I will behave wisely in a perfect way. … I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. … I will set nothing wicked before my eyes” (Psalm 101:2, 3). When you fail, ask for forgiveness, and commit to putting God first.
For the young people in your life, begin with Jonathan Haidt’s recommendations:
- Delay smartphones: No smartphones before high school
- Delay social media: No social media before age 16
- Create phone-free spaces: Create device-free times at home or school
- Encourage real-world independence: Prioritize face-to-face friendships and real-world responsibility.
But don’t stop there. Build relationships of trust with the young people in your life. Be interested in them. Listen to them. Pray with and for them. Do things together. Model healthy digital habits.
Most importantly, let them see you devoting time to reading your Bible, attending church, and serving others. “Teach [God’s ways and laws] diligently to your children” (Deuteronomy 6:7).
Here Am I, Send Me!
One of the best things you can do to help the young people in your life get off social media is to help them discover their purpose. Give them opportunities to lead, to grow, and to serve others. Let them see that their life matters. When they discover the joy of walking with God and working for the salvation of others, social media will lose much of its pull on their lives.
Amazing Facts is committed to helping young people discover their God-given purpose. That’s why we are dedicating our sixth annual youth conference to motivating and equipping young people to become active workers for God.
Do the young people in your life need some godly encouragement and real-life purpose? Then make plans now to attend “Send Me: Here I Am, Lord!” June 17–20, 2026. It may be the best thing you ever do for them.
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