Social Media Feed into Youth’s Addiction Through Algorithms

(MENAFN) Social media platforms are increasingly relying on algorithms designed to keep users engaged for long stretches, a trend contributing to digital addiction, especially among children and teenagers, experts say.

Ilyas Kaya, assistant professor at Istanbul University specializing in child and adolescent mental health, likened these algorithms to “digital slot machines.” He explained that platforms continuously adapt the content shown to users in order to capture and hold their attention.

Kaya noted that as algorithms learn individual preferences, users—particularly young people—can develop an addiction, spending more time online than intended. He highlighted that legal cases involving social media addiction among children, such as those in Los Angeles, represent a growing challenge for technology companies.

Social media addiction, he defined, is “the inability to control social media usage despite all the negative effects it may have on the individual.” Platforms encourage extended engagement by analyzing user interactions and delivering content that evokes strong emotional reactions—joy, anger, fear, curiosity, or satisfaction.

Kaya emphasized the role of personalized feeds combined with infinite scrolling, which removes natural stopping points and draws users in “like a swamp.” He stressed that even with stricter online protections being introduced, court cases against social media companies continue as concerns over digital addiction grow.

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