Meta's own internal research has uncovered an uncomfortable truth: the parental supervision tools the company promotes as safeguards for teen users don't actually help regulate compulsive social media use. The findings, which emerged in court filings, reveal that teens with trauma histories are particularly vulnerable to overuse, raising fresh questions about whether Meta's youth safety features address the root causes of platform addiction or simply provide legal cover.
Meta's carefully marketed parental supervision features just took a hit from an unexpected source: the company's own researchers. Internal studies conducted by Meta have found that parental supervision tools, which the company has promoted as a cornerstone of its teen safety strategy, don't meaningfully help young users regulate their social media consumption. The revelation comes at a particularly sensitive moment, as Meta faces mounting legal pressure over claims that Instagram and Facebook deliberately hook young users into compulsive usage patterns.
The research, which surfaced through court documents in ongoing litigation against Meta, paints a troubling picture of how the company's safety features perform in real-world conditions. According to findings reported by TechCrunch, the studies found that even when parents actively monitor and attempt to limit their children's platform use, teens continue to exhibit compulsive behaviors. More concerning, the research identified teens with trauma histories as especially prone to overuse, suggesting that Meta's platforms may be particularly harmful to already vulnerable populations.
This isn't the first time Meta's internal research has contradicted its public messaging. The leaked by whistleblower Frances Haugen in 2021 revealed similar patterns, where company research showed harmed teen mental health even as executives downplayed concerns publicly. But these new findings cut deeper because they directly undermine the solution itself has championed. The company rolled out expanded parental supervision tools across in 2022, positioning them as evidence of its commitment to youth safety.
