When Social Media Stops Being Social
Theme: Social Media, Addiction & the Responsibility of Platforms
Source: Reuters, August 12, 2026
I have always believed that social media is one of the most powerful inventions of our generation. It has changed how we communicate, discover brands, consume news and even build businesses.
But there is a line between designing a product that people enjoy using and designing one that people struggle to stop using.
That distinction is now at the centre of a major legal battle involving Meta.
According to the Reuters report, Meta is facing a trial brought by a coalition of 29 US states. The case centres on allegations that Facebook and Instagram were deliberately designed to be addictive to children and that the company misled consumers about the safety of its platforms.
For me, this is much bigger than another legal battle involving a technology company.
It raises a fundamental question for every marketer:
When does engagement become addiction?
The business model has always been built around attention
As marketers, we have spent years talking about engagement.
More time spent on the platform.
More videos watched.
More posts viewed.
More interactions.
More notifications.
More daily active users.
These are considered signs of a successful digital product.
But the same metrics can look very different when the user is a child.
If a teenager spends three hours scrolling Instagram, is that engagement?
Or is the platform successfully exploiting a behavioural loop?
That is where things get complicated.
The report says the trial will examine allegations that Meta engineered Facebook and Instagram to keep young users hooked and misled consumers about safety.
If those allegations are proven, the implications go far beyond Meta.
They could force the entire technology and advertising ecosystem to rethink what we mean by “user engagement.”
The uncomfortable truth about digital marketing
I work in digital marketing, and I have seen how obsessed the industry can become with numbers.
CTR.
CPC.
CPM.
Watch time.
Retention.
Frequency.
Conversion rate.
We optimise everything.
And sometimes, we forget to ask whether we are optimising for the right outcome.
A campaign that gets someone to click because it genuinely interests them is good marketing.
A platform that keeps someone scrolling long after they intended to stop is something different.
The difference may not show up in a dashboard.
But it matters.
Children make the conversation even more important
Adults can make informed choices about the products they use.
Children are different.
Their ability to understand persuasive design, recommendation algorithms and behavioural nudges is still developing.
That is why this trial matters.
If technology companies know that certain features increase compulsive behaviour among young users, should those features be treated simply as successful product design?
Or should companies have a greater responsibility to protect vulnerable users?
I don’t think technology should be blamed for every problem associated with teenagers.
But I do believe that when a product is deliberately engineered around human psychology, the responsibility of the designer becomes important.
What does this mean for marketers?
This is where I think the conversation becomes particularly interesting.
The future of digital marketing cannot simply be about getting more attention.
It has to be about earning the right kind of attention.
I would rather see a brand campaign remembered because it was useful, entertaining or emotionally meaningful than one that simply generated another five minutes of mindless scrolling.
Marketers should also start thinking beyond traditional performance metrics.
Instead of asking only:
“Did the consumer engage?”
we should also ask:
“Why did they engage?”
And perhaps even more importantly:
“Was the experience genuinely valuable to them?”
Engagement shouldn’t become the only objective
The irony is that the digital industry has become incredibly sophisticated at measuring human behaviour while becoming less sophisticated at discussing its consequences.
We know exactly when people click.
We know when they leave.
We know what they watch.
We know what they buy.
We know which notification brings them back.
The question is whether knowing all of this also creates a responsibility to use that knowledge responsibly.
The Meta trial may eventually be decided in court.
But the larger debate will not end there.
Every social platform, gaming company, streaming service and digital marketer is going to have to confront the same question:
Are we building products that people love, or products that people cannot leave?
For me, that is the real story behind this trial.
The next generation of digital marketing should not be about maximising attention at any cost.
It should be about creating enough value that people choose to give us their attention.
There is a very big difference.
And perhaps it is time we started measuring it.
As the industry shifts, staying informed about digital trends is essential for anyone. Click through to read another thread!
