Meta Employees Compared Themselves to Drug ‘Pushers’ as Company Buried Mental Health Harms to Kids & Teens
Written by b87fm on 11/29/2025
Meta is facing a firestorm after newly unsealed court documents revealed employees privately referring to Instagram as a “drug” — and themselves as “pushers.” The stunning admissions surface inside a massive California lawsuit accusing Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube of deliberately designing products that addict and harm young users.
The 235-page filing—brought by hundreds of school districts and state attorneys general—paints a picture of tech companies that knew exactly what they were doing, and did it anyway.
Inside Meta: “IG is a drug”
One internal Meta researcher didn’t mince words:
“IG (Instagram) is a drug… we’re basically pushers.”
The message came not from watchdogs or regulators—but from Meta employees themselves, quietly acknowledging the platform’s addictive engineering.
TikTok, Snapchat & YouTube Exposed Too
The lawsuit details similar patterns across the industry:
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TikTok researchers: “Minors do not have the executive mental function to control their screen time.”
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Snapchat execs: “Snap dominates their life.”
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YouTube staff: The push for daily use “was not aligned” with digital wellbeing—yet YouTube Shorts launched anyway.
The filing alleges that every major platform intentionally ignored internal warnings to protect engagement, ads, and growth.
‘Just like Big Tobacco’
CNN reported that Meta buried a study showing users felt less anxious and depressed after taking a break from Facebook. One employee compared the decision to the tobacco industry:
“…knowing cigs were bad and then keeping that info to themselves.”
TikTok’s Parental Controls Called ‘Useless’
Even the tools marketed as “safety features” appear compromised.
Internal messages revealed TikTok’s Family Pairing tool was considered “kinda useless,” and staff openly admitted that real screen-time limits would cut into ad revenue.
Teen Mental Health Crisis Grows
The lawsuit arrives as anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders rise among teens—groups especially vulnerable as their prefrontal cortex (the impulse-control center) is still developing.
Platforms rely on psychological triggers such as:
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infinite scroll
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autoplay loops
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variable-ratio dopamine rewards (the same system used in slot machines)
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streak-driven peer pressure
Snapchat even labeled these mechanics “unhealthy gaming mechanics” in its own documents.
Tech Giants Push Back
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Meta called the filing “deliberately misleading.”
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TikTok said the lawsuit “inaccurately rewrites our history.”
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Snapchat insisted its platform was “designed differently.”
Australia Takes Drastic Action
Outside the U.S., Australia is moving faster than anyone. A new law—beginning Dec. 10, 2025—bans social media access for anyone under 16 and requires mandatory age verification across Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and Threads.
Meta says it will begin shutting down underage Australian accounts next month.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the crackdown, arguing it shifts responsibility from parents to platforms. Lawmakers across the U.S., U.K., and E.U. are watching closely as similar proposals gain momentum.
