I highly recommend reading the full report, which is eye opening to say the least. kgi.georgetown.edu/research-and...

TikTok’s screentime management tools were subject to A/B testing which found that the actual impact on minors’ overall use was “about 10 minutes on weekdays and 15 minutes on weekends.” (13/13)

Adoption rates reported by TikTok, finding that from January 2024 to January 2025 the adoption rate for screentime breaks were approximately 1.5% of users, and sleep reminders between 0.7 and 1.8% of users. (12/13)

One internal TikTok document suggesting that “minors do not have executive function to [voluntarily] control their screen time.” (11/13)

3. Platforms know the mitigations they employ to reduce these harms don’t work: (10/13)

TikTok’s Minor Safety Strategy Paper references studies that suggest 6 or more hours a day spent on TikTok heightens depression risk. (9/13)

TikTok staff discussed external research finding that “minors who spend more than three hours a day on social media double their risk of ‘poor mental health outcomes, including symptoms of depression and anxiety.’ (8/13)

2. Platforms know that this addictive design has problematic associations: (7/13)

Internal documents state that the platform can “get people into flow – the psychological state of extreme engagement, loss of sense of time and even loss of self” including through “the variability of rewards (which is what makes the app so addictive).” (6/13)

TikTok's own records describe how it uses “powerful coercive design tactics” to extend use. (5/13)

TikTok’s Digital Wellbeing Product strategy describes compulsive usage as “rampant” on the platform. (4/13)

I'll give TikTok as an example for this thread, but the report also looks at Meta. Here's what we know:

1. Platforms know their designs are addictive: (3/13)

The report leverages two sources of data - 1) DSA mandated risk assessments, written by the platforms, and 2) internal platform documents that have emerged from US litigation against platforms. (2/13)