Social Media on Trial: Neuroscience, Addiction, and the Law

What does neuroscience tell us about social media addiction?

In August 2026, Meta reached a landmark multistate settlement of up to $17.1 billion over allegations that Facebook and Instagram were designed to encourage compulsive use among children and adolescents. This raised questions about the relationship between neuroscience, technology, and corporate accountability.

How do algorithmic feeds, intermittent rewards, and other engagement-maximizing features interact with the brain’s reward and learning systems? And to what extent can research on substance use disorders inform our understanding of problematic social media use?

Join the Petrie-Flom Center, the Center for Law, Brain & Behavior, and the Neurotech Justice Accelerator at Mass General Brigham for a discussion with Stephanie Tabashneck, PsyD, JD, and Javier Mesa, PhD, JD, exploring the neuroscience of social media use and its implications for law and public policy. The conversation will examine adolescent brain development, the scientific debate surrounding behavioral addictions, and the challenges of establishing causation between social media use and mental health outcomes.

Drawing on the recent Meta settlement and emerging litigation, the speakers will consider how courts and policymakers can distinguish scientific evidence from speculation, evaluate claims of addictive platform design, and develop evidence-informed approaches to protecting young people.

This event will be recorded and shared at a later date.