Gen Z is leading a growing push to hold Big Tech accountable, and that movement is taking center stage in Michigan.
Student advocates and influencers joined policymakers this week at East Lansing’s Graduate by Hilton for a summit on how social media platforms are designed to keep young users hooked – and what can be done about it. The event, called "Hard Reset: It’s Not You, It’s Them," was hosted in partnership with Her Campus and Design It For Us, and included a fireside chat with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Actress and youth advocate Lexi Underwood also spoke at the summit, addressing how young women are often blamed for unwanted advances on social media.
"Understand that it is not a reflection of your worth, of your body or your voice," she said. "It is a reflection of systems that weren't designed to protect us and still [haven't] learned how to protect us."
Last week, a New Mexico jury delivered a $375 million verdict against Meta, marking the first time a state has successfully held a major tech company liable at trial for harming children.
Windsor Western, president of Her Campus, a media platform for college women, said the issue starts with how these platforms were built.
"These tools were not made with our best interest in mind – they were made with the company’s best interest in mind," she said. "And there are a lot of design choices that have been made that do much more harm than good."
Whitmer told the audience that her legislation limiting cell phone use in K-through-12 schools is helping students focus more on learning, and less on scrolling – not just in Michigan, but in other states adopting similar laws.
"They've been seeing higher test scores, less behavioral issues and even more books checked out of the libraries," she said. "I'm proud of working across the aisle to prioritize kids and mental health."
According to the American Psychological Association, more than 40% of heavy social media users rate their mental health as poor or very poor, compared with lower-use peers.
Source: Public News Service
