wire / 2026-08-17-223a
Social Media Algorithms Harm Children Through Addictive and Inappropriate Content
Recommendation systems optimize for engagement and children are cheap to engage. A researcher walks through the mechanics one more time for the record.
The facts
Ravi Iyer, a digital platforms expert, warned that social media recommendation algorithms are designed to maximize user engagement, leading to excessive use, addiction, and exposure of children to harmful and sexual content. These AI-driven systems have directly caused psychological and developmental harm to minors in Mexico.