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Ola!
Curse and Coffee friends,
Today, we explore how META is harming teens.
Hit reply and let us know what you think (we read all of your kind words).
Coffee at the ready…
The Big Sip
The take: Meta proved its platforms hurt users, then quietly killed the research to protect profits.
What happened: Court documents unsealed Friday showed Meta shut down "Project Mercury" in 2020 after discovering something inconvenient. Users who quit Facebook and Instagram for just one week reported less depression and anxiety.
Why it matters: Meta had proof its platforms caused harm. Then, executives went to Congress and testified they couldn't figure out whether their apps hurt teenage girls.
They knew. They had the data. They killed the research and lied about it.
What to watch: A hearing on 26 January in Northern California will decide which internal documents get released to the public. Meta is fighting to keep them sealed.
The company had evidence that taking a one-week break from their platforms improved mental health. Instead of acting on it, they terminated the project and kept building features designed to maximize time on the app.
Teenage girls kept scrolling. Depression rates kept climbing. Meta kept collecting ad revenue.
Sponsor Break
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