No Priors AI New Research Exposes Social Media's Hidden Costs
Nov 28, 2025
Explore the hidden costs of social media on mental health and attention spans. Discover how constant feeds have eliminated boredom, affecting creativity. Hear about alarming research linking platform breaks to reduced anxiety and depression. Learn of lawsuits against companies for designing addictive experiences for teens. Parents are turning to landlines and device limits as strategies to protect their kids. The conversation also touches on the impact on adults, urging personal intentionality in digital consumption.
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Boredom's Hidden Cognitive Role
- Constant access to short-form content has effectively eliminated real boredom, which used to trigger imagination and problem-solving.
- Removing boredom reduces opportunities for self-reflection and creativity, reshaping how minds develop across ages.
Attention Is The Product
- Internal research from Meta showed Instagram acted like a drug and linked breaks to improved mental health, but was reportedly buried.
- Platforms monetize attention, so design choices favor engagement over users' wellbeing.
Short-Form Feeds Shrink Focus
- Meta-analyses and week-long breaks show heavy short-form use correlates with shorter attention spans and worse mood.
- Short-form feeds train the brain to expect rapid novelty, undermining sustained focus in adults and kids.