by Life Ed Queensland CEO Taryn Black
A landmark case in the 1990s changed all that and helped reshape public health policy and community attitudes.
It’s hard not to think the recent ruling in the US against Meta and YouTube carries the same early echoes of a shift.
It is one of the first times a court has held major platforms liable for design choices that have harmed a child’s mental health.
The person at the centre of the case began using social media at age 6 and argued that features such as infinite scroll, autoplay and algorithmic feeds were built to keep children engaged far beyond healthy limits. Internal documents presented at trial suggested executives were aware of these risks. The jury awarded $6 million in damages.
Cigarettes were engineered to keep people addicted. Social media platforms now face similar claims that platform features are designed to hook young users.
Tobacco legal cases changed direction when internal memos revealed companies understood the dangers. The social media trial uncovered executives know harm is being caused, with internal documents discussing negative effects on children.
Over the decades, smoking shifted from a personal choice issue to a public health issue. Social media use among children is now moving in the same direction. It’s no longer just a matter of parenting or discipline, with evidence showing that platform design itself shapes behaviour and mental health.
Australia has already stepped into this space. In late 2025, the country became one of the first to ban social media for children under 16, citing mounting evidence of harm. Indonesia has now followed Australia’s lead, restricting social media for children under 16. Other nations including Malaysia, Spain and Denmark are considering following suit.
Today’s digital environment is absolutely impacting our children’s mental health. I’d argue it’s just as serious as any traditional public health risk.
