Meta and Google trial: are infinite scroll and autoplay creating addicts?

"There is always something more that will give you another dopamine hit that you react to and there is an infinite supply of that. The promise of these things is that there is always going to be something interesting and rewarding and there is a never-ending supply. That is the mechanic of infinite scroll."

"You are constantly chasing and even when you find what you are chasing there is the promise of something else that catches your attention right after and with no bounds on that part of the mechanism. Internal documents showed Meta employees worried about rising reward tolerance among users, with one email stating: Oh my gosh y'all IG is a drug."

A landmark trial against Meta and Google examined whether social media platforms deliberately addict children through design features including infinite scrolling, autoplay videos, and constant notifications. The prosecution argued these mechanisms create addiction by providing endless dopamine rewards, while defendants claimed they prioritize user safety and wellbeing. Internal Meta documents revealed employees recognized Instagram's addictive properties, with staff comparing social media to drugs and themselves to pushers. Expert testimony and whistleblower accounts detailed how infinite scroll mechanics exploit reward tolerance, creating psychological patterns where users continuously seek the next engaging content without natural stopping points.

Read at www.theguardian.com