为了表彰学生公开信大赛的获奖者，我们将刊登他们的作品。这封信的作者是15岁的Vihaan Miriyala。
To the Honorable Members of the U.S. Senate,
I am writing to you not as a policy expert, but as a member of the first generation growing up with social media. Every morning I have a routine — before I’m even fully awake, I reach for my phone and groggily go through my socials one by one: first Instagram, then TikTok, and then Snapchat. It’s a never-ending loop of brainrot I never asked for, and yet one I can’t seem to quit no matter how hard I try. Looking around my high school, it’s obvious it’s not just me who’s facing this dilemma. I notice the same recurring patterns among many fellow teens — hunched backs, constant notifications, and real conversations going ignored.
But is this addiction to social media really because we lack willpower, or is it because these platforms are intentionally designed to bypass our self-control and keep us addicted? A recent Los Angeles landmark trial found Meta to be negligent and held that they had to pay $4.2 million in damages for designing platforms, including Instagram, that were deliberately addictive to young users. And it’s not just Instagram. One internal email from a Snapchat employee described Snapstreaks, the feature we all know and love, as having caused “mass psychosis” among users and that the pressure to keep a Snapstreak going was harming healthy social interaction. It should come as no shock that TikTok is also a culprit here. Internal documents unsealed in a 2024 Kentucky lawsuit reveal the company knew its algorithm could get you hooked in as little as 35 minutes — highlighting that this design is built to take advantage of our adolescent brains to keep us scrolling for hours on end.
These companies are exploiting our lives for profit, growing wealthier while we become more dependent on their platforms day by day. Unknowingly, we are becoming slaves to their algorithms, losing our time and freedom so that they can maximize their revenue. Ultimately, we are not the customers of these apps but rather the products being sold to the highest bidder.
Several countries have already recognized this risk and passed laws restricting or banning social media. In December 2025, Australia became the first to enforce a nationwide ban for all children under 16 with no parental exceptions. Their government acknowledged that the risks posed by social media far outweighed the perceived benefits of digital connectivity for young, susceptible minds. Other countries such as France, Spain and Malaysia have followed suit, and have introduced or are debating similar age-based restrictions for addictive platforms. However, the United States remains stuck in legislative battles, failing to pass laws restricting or banning social media despite having high rates of mental health struggles and addiction.
Confronted with this reality, I urge you to follow their lead and consider a federal ban or at least restrictions on social media for minors so we can take back our childhood.
Sincerely,
Vihaan
Works Cited
Abrams, Zara. “Why Young Brains Are Especially Vulnerable to Social Media.” American Psychological Association, 3 Feb. 2022.
Allyn, Bobby, et al. “TikTok Executives Know About App’s Effect on Teens, Lawsuit Documents Allege.” NPR, 11 Oct. 2024.
Berrozpe, Tatiana Íñiguez, et al. “Spain Social Media Ban for Under-16s: Here’s What We Know So Far, and What We Don’t.” The Conversation, 24 February 2026.
Edmond, Charlotte. “These Are the Countries Where Children Are Most Satisfied With Their Lives.” World Economic Forum, 4 Sept. 2020.
Hautau, Lily. “Social Media Use Is Tied to Well-being, According to the New World Happiness Report.” CNN Health, 20 March 2026.
Kang, Cecilia, et al. “Meta and YouTube Found Negligent in Landmark Social Media Addiction Case.” The New York Times, 25 March 2026.
Kim, Victoria. “Australia’s Social Media Ban for Children Takes Effect.” The New York Times, 9 Dec. 2025.
Murray, Jessica. “Instagram Worse for Mental Health Than WhatsApp, Global Study Finds.” The Guardian, 18 March 2026.
“NetChoice v. Bonta: Ninth Circuit Narrows Injunction Against California’s Age-Appropriate Design Code Act.” Cooley, 24 March 2026.
Schatz, Brian. “Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA).” U.S. Senator Brian Schatz.
Webb, Effie. “‘I’m Begging You’: What Snapchat Knew About Addicted Users.” The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, 12 March 2025.
Wee, Sui-Lee and Laura Chung. “These Two Countries With Social Media Bans Aren’t Happy With Google and Meta.” The New York Times, 31 March 2026.
Wertheimer, Tiffany. “Spain Announces Plans to Ban Social Media for Under-16s.” BBC News, 3 Feb. 2026.
