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Fri, 28 Aug 2026

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 'Not far enough' - US parents and teens on Meta's new limits for young users

As part of an $18bn settlement in a child-safety lawsuit, Meta announced new restrictions on its apps. We asked families what they thought.
Elizabeth Cardner, a mother of two girls in Houston, Texas, believes the new rules will only provide temporary relief for parents and children alike. "It will save a few arguments at home," she said, "but it doesn't go far enough." Her 14-year-old daughter Paige also expressed concerns that teenagers will find ways to bypass the restrictions. Many parents feel stuck between allowing their children to use social media and protecting them from its potential harms. Andria Rose, a mother of two teens near Boston, Massachusetts, described herself as "defenceless" against the influence of Meta's platforms on her kids. The new rules include setting a daily time limit of two hours, hiding like counts, removing autoplay on videos, and banning extreme make-up filters. However, some parents are critical of the limitations of these measures and argue that more needs to be done to address the issue of social media addiction among children. Meta's settlement payment of up to $18 billion is seen as a significant step towards acknowledging its responsibility in hooking children on its platforms. However, some experts believe that the company should do more to prevent harm and that parents also have a role to play in protecting their children from the negative effects of social media.