Meta bosses tried to smear academic and author who led global campaign highlighting damage of social media to young people’s mental health, court documents show
Court documents reportedly show Meta executives discussed trying to turn academics against social psychologist Jonathan Haidt before his book on young people’s mental health was published. The disclosures matter because they suggest the company considered undermining a prominent critic’s credibility as debate grew over the effects of smartphones and social media on children.
The minutes, from a meeting on 8 March 2023, attribute a plan to then research vice-president Curtiss Cobb to get the academic community to “disavow” Haidt and prompt media doubts about his credibility. Staff also discussed recruiting researchers to write a “takedown” and using a “whisper strategy”; one note named Columbia professor Andrew Gelman, who had criticised Haidt. The documents are part of a US lawsuit brought by a coalition of school districts against Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram. Haidt said he was “not surprised” by the remarks.
In short
- Meta staff discussed efforts to undermine Jonathan Haidt’s credibility.
- Meeting minutes date the discussions to March 2023.
- The documents are part of a US school districts’ lawsuit.
Explained simply
Jonathan Haidt is a US social psychologist who has written about how smartphones and social media may affect young people’s wellbeing. His 2024 book, The Anxious Generation, argued that the move from play-based childhood to phone-centred childhood has harmed children’s mental health.
Meta is the company behind Facebook and Instagram, platforms widely used by teenagers. The debate over their effects involves researchers, parents, technology companies and schools, and evidence about the causes of changes in young people’s mental health is contested.
School districts in the United States have sued Meta, alleging that its platforms contribute to harm among young users. The case has brought internal company documents into public view, making the company’s approach to outside critics part of a wider discussion about research, public debate and responsibility for children’s online lives.
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