Currently, social media (SNS) addiction among minors is a global problem. SNS addiction negatively impacts children’s mental health and has become a serious social issue. In the United States, 77% of high school students use SNS, and the higher the level of addiction, the greater the tendency for bullying and suicidal thoughts. A trial has begun in California in a lawsuit against SNS companies such as Meta. The plaintiff is a 20-year-old woman living in California. She sued Meta, Google, and others, claiming that she became addicted to YouTube and other platforms as a child, leading to depression, and is seeking damages. She emphasizes that “companies intentionally design SNS algorithms to make users addicted.” Similar lawsuits were seen in the 1990s against the “tobacco industry.”
Giant information companies such as Google, Meta, and X (formerly Twitter) have a history of loosening content management, including measures against misinformation. Following this trend, AI-generated fake videos (“deepfakes”) and inappropriate posts have become widespread. Meta spent approximately $26 million on lobbying in 2025, an 8% increase compared to 2024. This lobbying was aimed at loosening regulations. As the problem of social media addiction became a social issue, there began to be a movement to hold companies providing these services accountable for their business models. In the US, thousands of lawsuits have been filed against social media companies by parents of minors and others. The California federal court has decided to consolidate these similar cases into a “Multidistrict Litigation (MDL)” case. This “multidistrict litigation” is scheduled to begin in the California district court in 2026. Meta’s chief financial officer seems unable to hide his anxiety, stating that this trial “could ultimately lead to significant losses.”
Smartphone users and companies are also making efforts and providing services to prevent addiction. The number of users of “Blockin,” a Japanese app designed to curb addiction, is increasing. Blockin’ has surpassed 1 million cumulative downloads. Looking at Blockin’s usage, it appears that young people are taking the lead in adopting it. The amount of time teenagers spend using smartphones has increased by 30% in the last 5 years, now exceeding 3 hours per day. In fiscal year 2024, the average mobile device usage time for teenagers was 3 hours and 18 minutes on weekdays and 4 hours and 18 minutes on weekends. Interestingly, more than 90% of junior and senior high school students started using Blockin’ on their own, not at the suggestion of their parents. Recently, the learning method of using smartphones to look things up while studying has become widespread, making it difficult to physically keep smartphones away. It seems that a realistic and smart way of using smartphones is needed without eliminating them entirely.
