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Research Shows Parental Control Does Not Help Social Media Addicted Kids

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An internal research project at Meta known as Project MYST found that parental supervision measures, including time limits and restricted access, had little effect on teens’ compulsive use of social media. The study, conducted with the University of Chicago, also concluded that teens who experienced stressful life events were less able to regulate their social media use.

Details about the research emerged during testimony in a social media addiction trial that began last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The plaintiff, identified as “KGM” or “Kaley,” along with her mother and other parties, alleges that social media companies created addictive and dangerous products that contributed to anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts among young users.

Claims Against Social Media Companies

Kaley sued Meta, YouTube, ByteDance, and Snap. ByteDance and Snap settled before the trial began. The case is one of several major lawsuits this year that accuse social media companies of harming children. The outcomes could influence how these companies approach younger users and may prompt regulatory action.

In the jury trial now underway in Los Angeles, Kaley’s attorney cited Project MYST as evidence that Meta was aware of potential harms but did not make them public. The study’s name stands for Meta and Youth Social Emotional Trends. It surveyed 1,000 teens and their parents about social media habits.

According to testimony, the research found “parental and household factors have little association with teens’ reported levels of attentiveness to their social media use.” Both parents and teens reportedly agreed that there was no link between parental supervision and teens’ ability to moderate usage.

Lanier argued that if these findings are accurate, built-in parental controls in apps such as Instagram and smartphone time limits would not necessarily reduce overuse. The original complaint claims that social media platforms use algorithmic feeds, variable rewards, frequent notifications, and weak parental tools that encourage prolonged engagement.

Testimony From Instagram Head

Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, testified that he was not familiar with Project MYST, despite documents suggesting he approved the study. He said the company conducts many research projects and could not recall specific details beyond the study’s name.

The plaintiff’s attorney cited the research to argue that responsibility should not rest solely on parents. He noted that Kaley’s mother attempted to limit her daughter’s social media use, including taking away her phone at times.

The study also reported that teens who experienced adverse life events, such as family issues or bullying, showed lower levels of attentiveness to their social media use. Mosseri acknowledged that some users may turn to Instagram as an escape from difficult circumstances. However, he said Meta avoids the term addiction and instead uses “problematic use” to describe spending more time on the platform than users feel comfortable with.

Defense Arguments

Meta’s lawyers argued that the study focused on whether teens felt they were using social media excessively, not whether they were clinically addicted. They also suggested that personal circumstances, including family and school challenges, contributed to Kaley’s emotional struggles.

Mosseri confirmed during testimony that Project MYST’s findings were not published publicly and that no warnings were issued to parents or teens based on the research.





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AI Boom Could Wipe Out Consumer Electronics Firms by 2026

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February 19, 2026

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The global memory shortage linked to rising AI demand could force a large number of consumer electronics companies out of business by the end of 2026, according to comments attributed to Pua Khein-Seng, CEO of Phison.

In a summary posted on X by user 駿HaYaO, Pua reportedly said that many system vendors may go bankrupt or exit product lines due to limited memory supply. The original interview was conducted in Chinese and is available on YouTube without English subtitles, so the remarks cannot be independently verified verbatim.

Production Cuts Expected

According to the translated summary, Pua warned that consumer electronics will experience widespread failures from late this year through 2026. He reportedly said mobile phone production could decline by 200 to 250 million units, while PC and television output would also fall significantly.

The shortage has already driven sharp increases in memory prices, complicating the production of various computing-related devices.

NVIDIA’s Rubin GPUs to Blame

Pua also reportedly addressed the impact of Nvidia’s next-generation Rubin AI GPUs. If tens of millions of Vera Rubin units ship, each requiring more than 20TB of SSD storage, that would consume roughly 20 percent of last year’s global NAND production capacity, excluding additional data storage demand, according to the summary.

Long-Term Shortage Looms

The summary further claims that memory manufacturers are now requesting three years of prepayment, a practice described as unprecedented in the electronics sector. Manufacturers are also said to estimate that the shortage could last until 2030 or potentially another decade.

Major memory producers, including Samsung, Micron, SK Hynix, Kioxia, and Yangtze Memory, have announced investments in new capacity. However, bringing new facilities online typically requires at least two years from announcement to production, and equipment remains in high demand.

China’s additional output is expected to account for only 3 to 5 percent of global capacity in its early stages, which would not close a projected 10 to 20 percent supply gap. Domestic demand within China is also described as strong, limiting the likelihood of surplus exports.

Sustainability Debate

The X user suggested that extended product lifespans and increased repairs could be a potential upside of constrained supply. However, overall electronics production continues to grow, with output shifting toward energy-intensive AI servers and GPUs rather than consumer hardware.





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Snapchat Rolls Out OnlyFans-Like Subscription for Creators

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50 minutes ago

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February 19, 2026

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Snapchat announced it will roll out creator subscriptions, introducing a feature similar to offerings already available on Instagram, Facebook, and OnlyFans.

Under the new system, subscribers will gain access to exclusive content shared through Snaps and Stories. They will also receive priority replies from creators and view Stories without ads.

Subscription Pricing and Access

Creators will be able to set their own monthly subscription prices. These prices can be aligned with Snapchat’s recommended pricing tiers.

The feature will first become available to select US-based creators starting February 23. In the US, iOS users will be able to subscribe to participating creators’ accounts.

Snapchat said it plans to expand the subscription option to Canada, France, and the UK in the coming weeks.





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AI Will Fully Take Over Most Desk Jobs Within a Year: Microsoft

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February 19, 2026

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Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI at Microsoft, said in a recent interview with the Financial Times that artificial intelligence could automate most professional computer-based tasks within the next 12 to 18 months.

Suleyman predicted human-level performance on most professional work, including accounting, legal services, marketing, and project management. He said jobs that involve sitting at a computer are especially vulnerable. His comments align with recent warnings from AI researcher Matt Shumer and Sam Altman of OpenAI, who have both described rapid AI progress as potentially disruptive.

YouTube video

Earlier this year, Dario Amodei of Anthropic warned that AI could eliminate half of entry-level white-collar roles. Jim Farley of Ford Motor Company said AI might cut US white-collar jobs in half. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Elon Musk of SpaceX said artificial general intelligence could arrive as early as this year.

Current Impact Remains Limited

Despite these forecasts, AI adoption in professional services has so far produced modest results. A 2025 report from Thomson Reuters found lawyers, accountants, and auditors using AI for targeted tasks such as document review and routine analysis. Productivity gains were described as marginal and did not indicate widespread job displacement.

In some cases, AI has reduced efficiency. A study from nonprofit Model Evaluation and Threat Research found that software developers took 20% longer to complete tasks when using AI tools.

Economic gains appear concentrated in the technology sector. Research from Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo Global Management, showed Big Tech profit margins rising more than 20 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025. By contrast, the broader Bloomberg 500 Index showed little change. Slok also cited Wall Street expectations for the S and P 500, noting investors do not anticipate higher earnings from AI outside the tech sector.

Job Cuts

There are early signs of workforce impact. Employment consultancy Challenger, Gray, and Christmas reported about 55,000 AI-related job cuts in 2025. Microsoft eliminated 15,000 roles last year, although it did not attribute the reductions directly to AI. In a July memo, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the company needed to reimagine its mission for a new era.

Markets have reacted sharply to AI developments. Software stocks recently declined amid fears of automation in the software as a service sector, a selloff some analysts labeled the SaaSpocalypse. The downturn followed announcements from Anthropic and OpenAI about agentic AI systems designed to handle functions traditionally performed by SaaS companies.





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