Major technology companies face irresponsible authority, changing its narrative and creating more harm than good. As the world of technology and artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent and advanced, its influence and impact on the world grow. With this increase in power, the conversation has turned to ask whether their benefits outweigh the negatives. Trust in major technology companies such as Meta, Google and TikTok has decreased as ongoing harms are revealed.

A 2025 study by the Journal of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Disorders titled “The Impact of Social Media & Technology on Child and Adolescent Mental Health” studied the vulnerability teenagers face when met with social media and technology. Though not all teenagers find a negative impact of social media, 24.4% of adolescents in the study met the criteria for social media addiction. The same study also found that adolescents are vulnerable to an increase in anxiety and depression when they use social media for longer than three hours a day. These findings reveal a dark side to technology companies, as a substantial part of their audiences are youth. These companies who struggle with public backlash seem to poorly manage their response and little to no change is the result.

The Facebook Files, a 2021 investigative report by The Wall Street Journal, found how the company is responsible for neglecting to maintain its ethical standards and harming its users. The Facebook and Instagram company, Meta Platforms, was found to be directly correlated to many mental health problems in teens and prioritizing its profit over user safety. There have been similar cases with large companies struggling with user mental health, such as the ongoing multi-district lawsuit called “Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation.” It contains numerous lawsuits against many technology companies, including TikTok, Snapchat, Google and YouTube, and states that these companies encourage unhealthy behaviors in adolescents. It is unethical to instill unhealthy practices into a product and these companies should lose the trust and respect of the public. The negatives outweigh the positives when the youth are put at risk of unhealthy behaviors, and these companies seem reluctant to change.

The current and upcoming generations are those who are most vulnerable to this crisis. Social media and tech companies continue to have influence on people’s lives and learning how to stay protected from their exploitative tendencies is crucial.