What The Meta Settlement Means for Kids Mental Health in Massachusetts

MAMH applauds Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s announcement that Massachusetts and 46 other states have reached an agreement with Meta related to allegations that the company intentionally designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive, thus contributing to a youth mental health crisis. The landmark settlement, for both money and a change in practices, represents a significant step forward in addressing the impact of social media on young people’s mental health.

The total financial settlement is estimated to provide up to $17.1 billion for the states involved. Massachusetts is expected to receive as much as $516 million over 10 years to support a range of initiatives focused on the health and well-being of children and youth, including mental health promotion and prevention, urgent care, crisis intervention, school based mental health services, digital literacy, youth led peer programs, and after school opportunities. While we recognize that children and young people can often find community and a sense of place online, the predatory practices employed by Meta to increase usage have undercut even those benefits. Numerous provisions in the settlement are intended to better protect children and adolescents, including changes in Meta operating policies to address youth access to certain platform operations and features, limits on platform operating hours, and safeguards designed to reduce excessive use.

MAMH commends Attorney General Campbell, her bipartisan counterparts across the country, and the many families, advocates, and experts whose efforts helped bring attention to these concerns and contributed to the development of this historic agreement. The full terms of the Meta settlement - including details on usage limits and other operating policies - were announced by the Attorney General's office this week.

MAMH will join our partners to advocate for transparent, accountable, and timely investment of settlement funds in Massachusetts. We believe these resources should be directed toward targeted well being promotion initiatives and evidence-based mental health treatment to support interventions designed to ensure that children and families receive the right care at the right time and in the right setting.