AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Meta — the social media giant — will pay $1 billion and implement new child safety regulations on its platforms as part of a settlement with the state of Texas. A professor of developmental psychology at the University of Texas at Austin said the regulations are a step in the right direction, but argue they fall short in addressing the real issue plaguing children online.
David Yeager, author of 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People, said the science around the impacts of social media on adolescent mental health is contentious. He explains that social media is not necessarily bad for all kids, but can be harmful for kids who use it for validation.
“The rate of constantly seeking approval and validation online, and feeling like you can never get enough, is a serious source of attack on young people’s self-esteem,” Yeager said…