Corporate Accountability in Digital Ecosystems: Systemic Drivers of Youth Addiction in Social Media
Original framing: “Mark Zuckerberg to testify in landmark social media trial” — Financial Times
The role of algorithmic reward loops, advertising-funded business models, and lack of global regulatory frameworks in creating addictive systems. Missing are voices from affected youth, parents, and alternative platform designs prioritizing well-being over engagement metrics.
Low structural omission detected in mainstream coverage.
Produced by Western financial media for investor audiences, this narrative reinforces tech industry legitimacy by focusing on legal theater rather than systemic reform. It serves power structures that benefit from deregulated digital markets and deference to corporate expertise.
Indigenous knowledge systems emphasize relational balance with tools; modern platforms disrupt this by creating extractive attention economies that separate users from community accountability structures essential for healthy development.
Corporate testimony masks deeper contradictions between capitalist scalability and human developmental needs.