Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families Is Homework Actually Helping Your Child?
Mar 30, 2026
They challenge the value of primary school homework and explain why it often backfires. They cover a landmark court ruling holding social platforms responsible for addictive design. They discuss persuasive tech features like infinite scroll and how that changes how families think about screens. They highlight better priorities for young children such as daily reading, play and connection.
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Courts Find Social Platforms Liable For Addictive Design
- Recent US court rulings found Meta and YouTube liable for harm caused by addictive design features like infinite scroll and autoplay.
- Judges awarded millions in damages and identified negligence and failure to warn as legal bases.
Legal Rulings Could Force Safer Product Design
- The rulings may force tech companies to redesign products to reduce harm and persuasive design effects.
- Justin links these design choices to broader cognitive trends like the stalling Flynn effect in recent decades.
Act On Rulings By Limiting Passive Screen Time
- Use the court findings as a prompt to act: limit passive screen use and lobby for age-appropriate rules rather than assuming platforms are safe.
- Justin urges parents to treat persuasive features like infinite scroll and notifications as intentional hooks to resist.