US Parents Say Meta’s New Limits on Teens Are ‘Not Far Enough’
For Elizabeth Cardner, a mother of two girls in Houston, Метa’s new restrictions on how teenagers can use its platforms are a welcome sign that more people are aware of social media’s potential dangers, but she cautions they probably won’t help much in the long‑term.
“It will save a few arguments at home, but it doesn't go far enough,” Cardner told the BBC. The settlement, worth $18bn, introduces a two‑hour daily limit, hides like counts, removes autoplay on videos, mutes push notifications during school hours and bans extreme makeup filters.
Cardner’s 14‑year‑old, Paige, said the limits would bring “more real‑life scenarios” and less “fake content”, yet she worries that AI tools could soon create new fake filters. “People will find new ways to have fake filters, and correct certain parts of their videos or pictures,” she explained, noting the change would only help until other tools evolve.
Parents across the U.S. feel stuck, caught between wanting to keep their children connected and fearing the harms of constant exposure. “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” Cardner said, adding that banning the sites entirely would leave her daughters out of peer‑culture.
Other parents share similar doubts. Andria Rose, a mother of two teens in the Boston area, called the settlement “fantastic” but still “not fully addressing the problem”. She described the changes as “throwing a couple of dollar bills at a problem.”
The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by 29 states, alleged that Meta engineered its platforms to be addictive and lied about risks, while violating federal child privacy law. The settlement expanded to 48 states, Washington, D.C. and three territories, and includes future tightening of time limits should other platforms join similar agreements.
Joanie Story, a mother of four boys from Long Island, criticizes the condition that $5bn of the settlement be withheld until platforms like YouTube, TikTok and others commit to similar safeguards. She calls the approach “petty”, but welcomes the new rules as “good controls” after watching two of her sons exposed to explicit content on a non‑Meta platform.
Mark SooHoo, a father from the Chicago suburbs, argues that parents should take the lead by pledging not to give children smartphones until eighth grade—a movement known as "Wait Until 8th". He believes social media and smartphones are closely linked in their harmful effects on youth “if you shift the problem away from the company and back to the parents.”
Parents often weigh the need for connectivity against the potential for negative impacts. As the debate continues, many are calling for broader reforms across the industry to keep children safe online.
What the Meta settlement means for the UK, and other questions after the deal
