An internal research study at Meta called “Project MYST,” created with the University of Chicago, found that parental supervision and controls had little impact on kids’ compulsive use of social media. The study also found that children who experienced stressful life events were more likely to lack the ability to moderate their social media use appropriately.
This claim was revealed during testimony at a social media addiction trial now underway in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The plaintiff, identified by her initials “KGM” or her first name, Kaley, is accusing social media companies of creating addictive and dangerous products. She alleges these products led young users to suffer from anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, self-harm, and suicidal ideation.
This case is one of several landmark trials this year accusing social media companies of harming children. The outcomes could impact how these companies approach younger users and might prompt further regulatory action. Kaley sued Meta, YouTube, ByteDance, and Snap, though the latter two companies settled their claims before the trial began.
In the trial, Kaley’s lawyer, Mark Lanier, cited the internal Meta study as evidence the company knew of, but did not publicize, specific harms. Project MYST, which stands for the Meta and Youth Social Emotional Trends survey, concluded that parental and household factors had little association with teens’ reported levels of attentiveness to their social media use.
In other words, even with parental controls, household rules, or supervision, there was no impact on whether a child would overuse social media compulsively. The study surveyed 1,000 teens and their parents. Both groups agreed there was no association between parental supervision and teens’ measures of attentiveness or capability.
The plaintiff’s lawyer argued that if accurate, these findings mean built-in parental controls on apps like Instagram or smartphone time limits would not necessarily help teens become less inclined to overuse social media. The original complaint alleges teens are exploited by social media products designed with addictive features like algorithmic feeds, variable rewards, incessant notifications, and deficient parental control tools.
During testimony, Instagram head Adam Mosseri claimed not to be familiar with Project MYST, despite a document suggesting he approved the study. He stated Meta does many research projects and could not recall specifics about MYST beyond its name.
The plaintiff’s lawyer presented the study as a reason social media companies should be held accountable, not parents. He noted Kaley’s mother had tried to stop her daughter’s social media addiction, even taking her phone away. The study further found that teens with more adverse life experiences, such as dealing with alcoholic parents or school harassment, reported less control over their social media use. The lawyer argued this shows children facing real-life trauma are at higher risk of addiction.
On the stand, Mosseri partially agreed, stating people sometimes use Instagram to escape a difficult reality. Meta avoids the term “addiction,” instead using “problematic use” to describe someone spending more time on Instagram than they feel good about.
Meta’s lawyers argued the study was narrowly focused on whether teens felt they were using social media too much, not on clinical addiction. They generally aimed to place more responsibility on parents and life circumstances as the catalyst for negative emotional states, rather than on social media products. For instance, they pointed to Kaley’s experiences as a child of divorced parents, with an abusive father, and facing school bullying.
How the jury will interpret studies like Project MYST and the testimonies remains to be seen. Mosseri noted that MYST’s findings were not published publicly, and no warnings were ever issued to teens or parents as a result of the research. Meta has been asked for comment.