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Meta went to court this week in two major trials over alleged harms facilitated by its platform. In New Mexico, the state's attorney general has accused the company of facilitating child exploitation and harming children through addictive features. In a separate case in Los Angeles, a California woman sued the company over mental health harms she says she suffered as the result of addictive design choices from Meta and others.In both cases, Meta has disputed the idea that social media should be considered an "addiction." On the stand this week, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said that social media isn't "clinically addictive," comparing it to being "addicted" to a Netflix show.In opening statements in the New Mexico trial, Meta's lawyer Kevin Huff went further. He told the jury that "social media addiction is not a thing" because it's not in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the handbook used by mental health professionals in the US."According to the American Psychiatric Association, they don't recognize the concept of social media addiction in the same way as addiction to drugs and alcohol," Huff said during opening arguments that were broadcast by Courtroom View Network. "What you see on the screen is what's called the DSM, which is basically the official manual for recognized mental disorders. The American Psychiatric Association studied this and decided that social media addiction is not a thing."But the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has never said that social media addiction doesn't exist. The organization provides information and resources about social media addiction on its website. "Social media addiction is not currently listed as a diagnosis in the DSM-5-TRbut that does not mean it doesnt exist," the APA said in a statement to Engadget.Dr. Tania Moretta, a clinical pyschophysiology researcher who has studied social media addiction, agrees. "The absence of a DSM classification does not mean that a behavior cannot be addictive, maladaptive or clinically significant," she told Engadget. That argument, she said, "reflects a misunderstanding" of how psychiatry professionals define and classify conditions. "Diagnostic manuals formalize scientific consensus; they do not define the boundaries of legitimate scientific inquiry. Many maladaptive behaviors and clinically significant symptom patterns are studied and treated well before receiving official classification."Meta's critics have long claimed that the company has profited from addictive features that hook children and teens. The trials in Los Angeles and New Mexico are just the start of several court battles over the issue. The social media company is also facing a high-profile trial with school districts in June, and lawsuits from 41 state attorneys general. Moretta said that social media addiction is a field that requires more study, but that there is already evidence that it can have harmful effects on some people. "At present, from a scientific perspective, there is documented evidence that social media use disorder is associated with both psychophysiological alterations, including changes in reward/motivational and inhibitory/regulatory systems, and clinically significant negative impacts on functioning (e.g., sleep disturbances, psychological distress, impairment in social, academic, or occupational domains)," she said. "The key question is not whether all social media use is addictive, but whether a subset of users exhibits patterns consistent with behavioral addiction models and whether specific platform design features may exacerbate vulnerability in predisposed individuals."Both trials are ongoing and expected to last the next several weeks. In New Mexico, jurors have already heard from former employee turned whistleblower Arturo Bejar and former exec Brian Boland, both of whom have publicly criticized the company for not prioritizing safety. In Los Angeles, Mosseri's testimony has wrapped up, but Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify next week. The trials will also feature extensive internal documents from Meta, including details about the company's own research into the mental health impacts of its platform on young people.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-really-wants-you-to-believe-social-media-addiction-is-not-a-real-thing-130000257.html?src=rss
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A few days ago, a Redditor posted in the community for DoorDash drivers that they received an offer to close a Waymo vehicles door. The job paid a guaranteed fee of $6.25 with a $5 extra on top of it after the DoorDasher verifies that it has been completed. Waymo has confirmed to 404Media and TechCrunch that, yes, it is indeed paying Dashers to shut the doors of its self-driving cars. And it makes sense because, well, theres nobody to do it otherwise if a passenger accidentally leaves it open. The Alphabet subsidiary and DoorDash told the publications that its currently running a pilot program in Atlanta, wherein if one of its vehicles doors is left ajar, nearby Dashers are notified. Waymos self-driving vehicles cant leave if one of its doors remains open, so the company is framing the program as a way to enhance its fleets efficiency. Waymo told 404Media that the program started earlier this year and that payments are structured to ensure competitive and fair compensation for Dashers.To note, this isnt the first time the two companies have teamed up. In October 2025, Waymos self-driving cars became a delivery option for DoorDash customers in Phoenix, Arizona. To get a Waymo delivery, customers will have to choose opt in to autonomous delivery during checkout and to physically retrieve their order from the cars trunk when it arrives. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/doordashers-are-getting-paid-to-close-waymos-self-driving-car-doors-122711640.html?src=rss
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Threads users have complained about its recommendation algorithm since the dawn of time 2023. Users even started writing posts addressed to the algorithm, specifying the topics they wanted to see more of. Now, thats part of the system: Users can write a post that begins with dear algo to adjust their preferences, officially.For example, you could write: Dear algo, show me more posts about sous vide recipes. You can also ask to see fewer posts about topics you dont want to see, like Dear algo, stop showing me posts about air fryers. You can even retweet other users dear algo posts to have those topics reflected in your feed. Dear algo posts will work for Threads users in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand, with more countries coming soon. Mat SmithThe biggest stories in tech you might have missed.The first Control Resonant gameplay trailer shows a sideways NYC Apples Siri relaunch is reportedly behind schedule The next Metal Gear Solid remaster collection arrives this summerElon Musks latest scheme is a satellite catapult on the MoonI think thats a Drag Race song.With a bigger focus on the Moon, Elon Musk is making some wild new plans. According to audio heard by The New York Times, Musk said xAI needed to build an AI satellite factory on the Moon with a gigantic catapult to launch the satellites into space. Sometimes you just want to be the Bond villain.You have to go to the Moon to build the required AI capabilities, Musk told employees. Its difficult to imagine what an intelligence of that scale would think about, but its going to be incredibly exciting to see it happen. Such a catapult would certainly need to be powerful though the Moon has only one-sixth Earths gravity, the minimum escape velocity required for orbit is still around 3,800 mph, or five times the speed of sound. Thats currently possible with electromagnetic railguns, but the satellites would have to withstand that force.Continue reading.Pokémon Pokopia is cosy AFStardew Valley + Animal Crossing X Pokémon.TMANintendoIn a bid to distract from a lot of things, Nintendos new Pokémon game is a gently paced game where, instead of playing as a generic trainer, you take control of a sole Ditto. As a Ditto, you can transform into other Pokémon, though the process is sort of incomplete, meaning you can only learn one skill from the monsters you befriend. Instead of using tools, you can transform into other Pokémon (like Lapras or Dragonite) to use their abilities to traverse obstacles or shape the world around you.Continue reading.Sony WF-1000XM6 headphones reviewFacing tougher competition.TMAEngadgetSony unveiled the latest entry in its best wireless earbud series, the WF-1000XM6, featuring yet another redesign, both inside and out. Once again, strong features and audio performance remain, but competition from all sides is tougher than ever. As Billy Steele explains in his review, if you want the strongest active noise cancellation, that will be Boses QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. If the best sound quality is your goal, the Technics AZ100 is your best bet in this price range. Ill also mention Sennheisers Momentum True Wireless 4, which offers great sound quality, respectable ANC and a comfier fit than the M6. The WF-1000XM6 is available now for $330.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-meta-turned-threads-algorithm-complaints-into-an-official-feature-121500663.html?src=rss
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