On Wednesday, Meta, the tech giant behind Facebook and Instagram, announced an unprecedented $18 billion settlement with 47 U.S. states. This decision aims to resolve accusations that social media platforms have adversely affected American children.
In addition to this significant financial payout—thought to reflect about a month’s revenue for the company—Meta committed to a comprehensive update of its safety protocols, explicitly targeting the protection of young users.
Some parents, however, expressed skepticism about the news, sharing with The Post that they feel this response is insufficient and overdue.
“It feels like cutting down a single tree in a forest,” remarked Nicole Noble, who has two children aged 3 and 8.
“We seem to always build, observe, and legislate these things backward in the tech and social media world,” the Virginia mother said. “Right now, it might not make a difference.”
“Not enough,” echoed Ruthie Friedlander, a mother from NYC with a three-year-old and an aunt to a five-year-old. “Instagram hasn’t built proper safety guardrails to protect our kids.”
“I’ve witnessed its impact on me as an adult, with a fully developed brain and a professional understanding of how the feed functions. And I’m supposed to believe a 10- or 11-year-old can make sense of a social platform? No,” she added, emphasizing her concerns as the founder of a luxury branding firm.
The new restrictions targeting minors include limits on usage—specifically two hours daily on both Facebook and Instagram—along with mandatory breaks during that time to curb continuous scrolling. Additionally, young users will face restricted access from midnight to 6 a.m., and a pause on notifications during school hours.
Age verification requirements will be tightened further, alongside enhanced content safeguards. Meta plans to limit exposure to content that fosters unhealthy self-image or mental health issues, such as particular beauty filters and visible like counts on posts.
Phil, a dad from Westchester, NY, appreciates the push for stronger protections but believes the conversation needs to shift. “We should be asking why children must exert such self-control on platforms crafted by some of the world’s most sophisticated companies,” he noted.
“While parents are responsible for guiding our kids in developing healthy relationships with technology, companies also bear responsibility for not exploiting vulnerabilities in developing minds,” he added.
Many experts, along with parents, expressed that establishing industry-wide standards may be the next crucial step toward tightening regulations.
“These limitations sound great, but they also feel like putting lipstick on a pig,” said Michaeleen Doucleff, a Texas mother and author. “Kids are pretty adept at bypassing restrictions, and historically, time and age limits haven’t effectively reduced social media usage. I’m skeptical that Meta can genuinely control content on its platform to protect kids,” she warned.
“One of the biggest challenges is that these issues don’t exist in isolation,” explained Brooklyn clinical psychologist Julie Kupfer, a mother of three. “The content kids come across often migrates to other platforms like YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and whatever comes next.”
“We need comprehensive safeguards addressing the broader digital landscape our children navigate—not just restrictive measures for one app,” she concluded.
Some parents believe these new measures could be a positive first step, although they may not significantly change the experience for young users. “Compelling Meta to implement changes could serve as an initial model for the future, though these alterations likely won’t impact most teenagers,” said Todd Cretacci, a Buffalo dad of 13-year-old twins.
Amber Feld, a mother from Los Angeles, emphasized that any emerging standards—irrespective of how well they’re applied—cannot replace traditional parenting. “Engagement is key—kids will always find a way around social media,” she remarked.
“With my 8-year-old, I say, ‘We can watch this together, but not alone.’ So we watch funny videos and laugh it out—it’s very closely supervised. Instagram can’t do that,” she shared.
In agreement, Eric N., a California parent to three kids aged 8, 11, and 16, stated, “As parents, we must determine when our kids are ready for social media and how much screen time is appropriate. That’s part of being a parent.”
“Perhaps the bigger issue isn’t just the amount of time our children are glued to screens, but how much time they spend watching us on screens, and how much attention they miss out on because of it,” he added.
