Every summer, I find myself writing about how to keep children safe. Pool fences, car seats, sunscreen. Those protections still matter. They always will.
But this year, I feel compelled to talk about something less visible, and in many ways harder to manage. It’s with our children in the living room, at the beach, and in the back seat on the way to school and vacation. It’s not something you can fix with a life jacket.
It’s screen time.
As both a personal injury attorney and a mom of four, I’ve been paying close attention to recent lawsuits against companies like Meta and Google. These cases claim that social media platforms are intentionally designed to be addictive, fail to protect children from predators, and contribute to serious mental health problems.
This isn’t just theory anymore. In courtrooms across the country, evidence is being presented, and juries are starting to agree.
In a recent landmark verdict involving Meta, jurors found that the company was negligent in how Instagram was designed and operated for young users. They concluded that:
- Meta was negligent in the design or operation of Instagram, and this negligence was a substantial factor in causing harm to children.
- Meta knew, or reasonably should have known, that Instagram’s design or operation was dangerous for minors using it in a foreseeable manner. Furthermore, Meta knew or should have known that users would not realize this danger.
- Meta failed to adequately warn users of the danger, even though a reasonable platform designer or operator in similar circumstances would have provided warnings or instructions on safe use.
- Meta’s failure to adequately warn or instruct users was a substantial factor in causing harm to children.
Additional cases have alleged that companies concealed what they knew about the risks to children’s mental health. Today, thousands of claims are active in federal litigation, with states, school districts, and families seeking accountability. Some legal experts are even comparing these cases to the “big tobacco” litigation of the 1990s. As these cases move forward, we’re learning more about how deeply these platforms can affect our kids and how harmful they can be.
Designed to Keep Them Hooked
During summer, screen time naturally increases, but we’re learning from these cases just how hard it is to look away. Features like endless scrolling, autoplay videos, and constant notifications aren’t accidental. They’re carefully designed to keep users engaged for as long as possible.
Internal documents revealed through litigation suggest that algorithms are engineered not to show users what they want to see, but what they are least likely to disengage from. Features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and strategically timed notifications are not incidental. They are deliberate design choices.
The consequences can be serious: increased rates of anxiety, depression, disordered eating, and, in the most tragic cases, self-harm.
In my work, I see firsthand what happens when safety is deprioritized in favor of engagement or profit. This follows a pattern we have seen before.
What Parents Can Do This Summer
Awareness is the first step, but action matters. If you’re looking to better understand how we got here in the first place, books like The Anxious Generation offer a deeper dive into how digital life may be reshaping childhood for our kids. If you’re looking for some immediate ways to approach this proactively, here are some ideas:
Start the conversation. Talk openly about how apps are designed. When kids understand the “why” behind the pull, it loses some of its power.
Create structure (not just rules). “No phones at dinner” is a great start, but summer days without boundaries can quickly turn into all-day scrolling. Build in time limits and screen-free time for real-life activities.
Stay curious. Sit with your child and watch what they’re watching. You may be surprised by what shows up in their feed. The content may not align with what you thought it was.
Understand parental controls. Parents don’t have to figure this out on their own. There are some helpful tools built right in. Features like Apple family controls let you manage screen time and content, while apps like Bark and Life360 can send alerts about potential issues. It’s not about spying. It’s just another way to help keep your kids safe while they learn to navigate the online world.
Watch for changes. Mood shifts, withdrawal, trouble sleeping, or distress when devices are taken away are all worth paying attention to. Summer is a season of joy and adventure. My kids will be everywhere—at the pool, at the beach, at camp, on vacation—and, inevitably, telling me they’re bored more times than I can count. Still, my sincere hope is that both my kids and yours soak up the simple, old-fashioned magic that summer brings… preferably offline.
Contact the Jacksonville Personal Injury Law Firm of Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers Today For Help
For more information, please contact the Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra personal injury law firm of Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers at the nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.
We serve Duval County, St. Johns County, and its surrounding areas:
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers – Jacksonville
9471 Baymeadows Rd #105,
Jacksonville, FL 32256
(904) 396-1100
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121 W Forsyth St Suite 1000,
Jacksonville, FL 32202
(904) 822-4225
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480 Town Plaza Ave #130,
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32081
(904) 675-1167