Meta’s own research found parental supervision doesn’t really help curb teens’ compulsive social media use

An internal research effort at Meta known as "Project MYST," conducted in partnership with the University of Chicago, concluded that parental supervision and control tools — including time limits and restricted access — didn't meaningfully reduce kids' compulsive use of social media. The research also suggested that teens who had experienced stressful or disruptive life events were more likely to struggle to moderate their social media use healthily.

That finding was among the more striking points raised during testimony in a social media addiction trial that began last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The plaintiff is identified by the initials "KGM," and is also referred to by her first name, "Kaley." She and her mother, along with others involved in the case, argue that social media companies built "addictive and dangerous" products that contributed to harms affecting young users, including anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and other serious outcomes.

The lawsuit is one of multiple high-profile trials expected to unfold this year that accuse social media platforms of harming children and teens. The outcomes could shape how these companies design products for younger audiences and may also increase pressure on regulators to take additional steps.

In this case, the plaintiff sued Meta, YouTube, ByteDance (TikTok), and Snap, though ByteDance and Snap settled their claims before the trial got underway.

During the jury trial now underway in Los Angeles, Kaley's attorney, Mark Lanier, referenced Meta's internal research and argued that it showed Meta was aware of specific harms but did not bring them to public view.

Project MYST — short for the Meta and Youth Social Emotional Trends survey — concluded that "parental and household factors have little association with teens' reported levels of attentiveness to their social media use."

Put plainly, the research suggests that even when parents attempt to manage their children's social media behaviour through built-in parental controls, household rules, supervision, or restrictions, those efforts don't necessarily change whether a teen will overuse social media or engage with it compulsively. The study relied on survey responses from 1,000 teens and their parents about social media habits and behaviour.

The research further reported that parents and teens largely aligned on this point, stating that "there is no association between either parental reports or teen reports of parental supervision, and teens' survey measures of attentiveness or capability."

If that conclusion is correct, Lanier argued, then tools like Instagram's parental controls or smartphone screen-time limits wouldn't automatically make teens less likely to overuse social media. The broader complaint alleges that teens are being exploited by products that include algorithmic feeds designed to keep people scrolling. These intermittent variable rewards can influence dopamine-driven behaviour, constant notifications, weak parental control systems, and other features.

While testifying, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said he wasn't familiar with Meta's Project MYST, even though a document shown in court appeared to indicate he had approved moving forward with the research.

"We do a lot of research projects," Mosseri said, after adding that he couldn't recall anything specific about MYSbeyond recognising memes.

Kaley's attorney pointed to the study as an example of why, in his view, responsibility should fall on the companies accused of creating harmful products — rather than on parents. He noted that Kaley's mother, for instance, had tried to curb her daughter's social media use, including taking her phone away at certain times.

The study also found that teens who reported a higher number of adverse life experiences — such as living with alcoholic parents, facing harassment at school, or dealing with other serious challenges — tended to report lower attentiveness regarding their own social media use. In other words, teens experiencing real-life trauma or instability appeared to be at higher risk of compulsive use, the plaintiff's lawyer argued.

On the witness stand, Mosseri appeared to partly agree with that idea, saying, "There's a variety of reasons this can be the case. One I've heard often is that people use Instagram as a way to escape from a more difficult reality." Meta typically avoids calling overuse "addiction." Instead, Mosseri said the company uses the phrase "problematic use" to describe someone "spending more time on Instagram than they feel good about."

Meta's attorneys, meanwhile, emphasised that the study was more narrowly aimed at measuring whether teens felt they were using social media too much, rather than proving whether they were clinically addicted. They also worked to frame parents' circumstances and broader life factors as key drivers of negative emotional outcomes, rather than assigning primary blame to social media products.

For example, Meta's lawyers referenced Kaley's family circumstances — including being a child of divorced parents, having an abusive father, and experiencing bullying at school.

How the jury will interpret Project MYST and other internal research, alongside the testimony from both sides, remains uncertain. Mosseri did acknowledge, however, that the MYST findings were not made public and that no warnings were issued to teens or parents based on the study's findings.

When asked for comment, a Meta spokesperson said, "Aside from the fact that this analysis showed nothing about the impact of parental oversight on teens' behaviour, parents tell us over and over that they want and need digital monitoring tools. That's why we build them."