“The cupboard with cookies is always open”: professor of digital culture explains how social media becomes addictive

In a sensational verdict, Instagram and YouTube have been held liable for the social media addiction of a woman, who suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts. Do social media deliberately make their users addicted and if so, how? What should tech companies do to make their platforms less harmful? Questions for Mariek Vanden Abeele, professor of digital culture (UGent): “If your child does not want to go to a youth movement camp because he or she has to hand over his smartphone, that is a red flag.”

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