Snapchat’s Compulsive Design: How Social Media Giants Contribute to Teen Mental Health Concerns

Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, has recently settled a landmark lawsuit in California, which accused the social media giant of deliberately designing its app to encourage compulsive use among teenagers, thereby contributing to mental health harms over years of engagement.

The case involved a teenager, identified as K.G.M., whose lawyers argued that Snap had engineered features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, and algorithmic recommendations to maximize time spent on the app.

These features, they claimed, were designed to activate the brain’s reward system, releasing feel-good chemicals such as dopamine, which can lead to addictive behaviour in some users.

This lawsuit highlights the growing concern about the impact of social media on teen mental health, with many experts analysing the colour and design of these apps to understand their effects on young users.

By examining the design of social media apps, researchers can better understand how they influence user behaviour and contribute to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

Furthermore, this case raises important questions about the responsibility of social media companies to protect their users, particularly teenagers, from the potential harms of their products.

As the UK government continues to analyse the impact of social media on mental health, it is essential to consider the role of app design in shaping user behaviour and contributing to these concerns.

Ultimately, this lawsuit serves as a reminder that social media companies must prioritize the well-being of their users, particularly teenagers, and design their apps with their safety and mental health in mind.