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The worlds biggest tech companies are facing a legal showdown that could fundamentally change the way that social media is designed. The trial is taking place in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, where jury selection started on January 27. Its testing out a new legal theory intended to spur greater regulation of social media platforms like TikTok, Snap, YouTube, and Metas Facebook and Instagram: Lawyers are gearing up to argue that the companies behind these platforms are designing their sites to be deliberately addictive, resulting in direct personal injury to users, especially children. Overall, the trial is expected to consist of nine cases, which have been compiled by judges across the nation as some of the strongest bellwethers for this new argument. First on the docket is a case brought by a 20-year-old plaintiff identified as K.G.M., who says that a lack of sufficient guardrails on social media sites during her youth led to compulsive use and mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia, self-harm, and risk of suicide. The defendants named in K.G.M.s initial suit were Bytedance, the former majority owner of TikTok; Snap, which owns Snapchat; Google, the owner of YouTube; and Meta. However, both Snap and TikTok settled the suit in the days leading up to jury selection for undisclosed sums, leaving just Meta and Google. The results of these initial decisions are expected to serve as a testing ground for a second set of federal cases, scheduled for trial this summer, wherein several school districts, states, and attorneys general plan to argue that social media is a public nuisance and addictive to children. At the crux of all of these suits lies a design-based claim: These tech companies are using intentionally engineered tricks to foster addictive behaviors among young users. Court documents point out several specific user experience (UX) choices as evidence of this pattern. Here are a few of the key examples in question. [Illustration: FC] Endless scroll “Endless (or infinite) scroll” is a chief concern across almost all of the cases that have been filed. It refers to any feature that allows users to continuously scroll through video content without disruptions. One court document, filed by the Florida attorney generals office against Meta, claims that infinite scroll makes it difficult for young users to disengage [from the content] because there is no natural end point for the display of new information. In a court filing before Bytedances settlement, K.G.M. testified that TikToks endless scroll feature disrupted her sleep and caused her to become addicted to the app. According to confidential internal messages obtained by NPR back in October, TikTok is aware of the addictive nature of its central endless scroll Explore page, and even calculated the number of videos required to become hooked to the app to be 260. [Illustration: FC] Ephemeral content Another pattern of social media design thats frequently cited in these legal documents is ephemeral content. This refers to any kind of post that can only be viewed under certain time parameters, like a once-viewable snap on Snapchat or an 24-hour Instagram story. The Florida attorney generals office specifically called out Metas visual design cues on Instagram Stories indicating that the content would soon disappear forever,” noting that this tactic made young users feel more compelled to keep clicking on new content to avoid potential social consequences. Meta designed such ephemeral content features to induce a sense of FOMO in young users, that is, a fear of missing out, which would drive teen engagement, the filing reads. [Illustration: FC] Algorithmic recommendations One of the most concerning details in K.G.M.s testimony regards the algorithmic recommendations that shes encountered on social media, which she says have repeatedly directed her to content with disturbing or damaging themes. I have gotten a lot of content promoting that kind of stuffjust like body checking, posts [of] what I eat in a dayjust a cucumbermaking people feel bad if they dont eat like that, she said in her deposition. Per the Florida attorney generals filing, Metas algorithms direct users to concerning content like this by design. Its platforms, the document reads, periodically [present] users with emotionally gripping content to provoke intense reactions’ (e.g., relating to eating disorders, self-har, suicide, violence, body-image issues, and more), a result of what Meta purportedly refers to as the algorithms’ preference amplification. Despite Meta’s representations to the contrary, this design results in harm to young users. For their part, K.G.M.s lawyers are grounding their arguments in past precedents established by cases ruling that products with purposefully addictive designs should be off-limits to kids. “Borrowing heavily from the behavioral and neurobiological techniques used by slot machines and exploited by the cigarette industry, [d]efendants deliberately embedded in their products an array of design features aimed at maximizing youth engagement to drive advertising revenue,” the lawsuit alleges. It adds: “Like the cigarette industry a generation earlier, [d]efendants understand that a child user today becomes an adult user tomorrow.
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Recently, I have developed a conflicted relationship with Lego. I love it. Theres so much Lego in our apartment that you can remove the brick and mortar, and I would still have a standing home. But lately, Im getting fed up with how hard the Danish company is pushing it. Pushing the absurd licensing deals. Pushing nostalgia. Pushing the gigantic sets that adults want, kids dream of, but so many parents cant afford. And sure. I cant really blame Lego for wanting to make money. Its a private company, and they are in the business of, you know, selling stuff. But by pushing so hard in every department, Lego risks brand exhaustion. At least, it’s exhausting the brick out of me. Lego is one of the greatest, most beloved brands in the world. One that resonates with adults and kids at many levels. Emotionally, millions have that memory that makes us teary. I think back on recent memories of crafting Lego worlds with my son, as well as distant memories, like assembling spaceships with my father and siblings. Rationally, theres a definitive appeal in the engineering of building complex designs from very simple pieces. Culturally, Lego is iconic on its own and often becomes entangled with other iconic brands, from Star Wars to Harry Potter. Sensorially, the touch, the clickity-clack-click of the building experience itself brings calm and anchors you to the present, making you forget problems and worries. Clearly, Lego has many paths to our pocketbooks. Its just that now, it feels like the worldwide Lego craze is on overdrive, and its becoming way too much. There are many things that bother me. The companys increasing reliance on licensed IP themes is one of them. While some licensed sets from Star Wars and Ghostbusters are great because of their clever design and engineering, many others feel like cash grabs. Like the recent Marvel logo set, a monument to shilling that lacks both the creativity and playability that these toys always strived for. Others feel out of place, like their deal with FIFA, a shady sports organization plagued with corruption scandals and wrongdoings. That cannot be further away from the Danish companys alleged innocent spirit and its learning-through-play philosophy. For a company that bans miniature replicas of guns from its sets, its appalling to see it associated with brutal dictatorial regimes, even if it is only by proxy. Plus, Legos World Cup trophy looks as hideous as Donald Trumps FIFA Peace Prize. Enough already The 1×1 plate that spilled my mental Lego cup was the ad that introduced its latest toy line: Pokémon. It is such a smarmy play for millennials thatwhile I love both Pokémon and LegoI couldnt help but have an instant visceral hate for it. That licensing deal also highlighted another huge problem, which is the proliferation of expensive sets. The company traditionally aims big multi-thousand-piece sets at adults. But it’s one thing to sell adults the Taj Mahal, the Titanic, or the Roman Colosseum, and it’s another to put out a $1,000 Death Star or this $650 Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise set. Both sold out in a few hours. Sure, adults will buy those, but do you really expect kids to look at those toys and not want them? Lego has always sold the occasional pricey setespecially in the Star Wars linebut the size (and price) increase is nuts. Data from the popular Lego set tracker Brickset shows that, in the entire pre2000 era, there were only 28 sets with over 1,000 pieces. By mid2025, there were already 80 such sets released in six months alone, showing a huge increase in the annual volume of big sets. The same data shows that there has been a big price increase. In 2016, the average Lego set cost about $40. From 2024 to 2026, that average had grown to around $70. Thats about a 75% price increase over the last decade, caused by the increase of licensed IP sets (which add an extra margin to pay the intellectual property owners around 20%). Six years ago, Lego licensing worked from the “physical world” to the “brick world.” External partners were primarily car manufacturers or entertainment studios lik Disney and Warner Bros., which resulted in some fun toys. For decades, however, Lego was fiercely protective of its brand, rarely allowing it on products it didn’t manufacture. Starting in 2020, this strategy flipped. Lego began aggressively pursuing “lifestyle partnerships” to make the brand a status symbol for adults in fashion and home decor rather than just a toy for kids. From that point on, Lego has been launching collaborations with Adidas, Levi’s, Ikea, Nike, Target (with products for pets too!), Moleskine, Concept One, Hype, and even Pottery Barn. I’m sure I’m missing some. I find the latest collab with Crocs to be particularly offensive, and the news drove me over the edge when it popped up in my social media feeds in late January. The Lego Brick Clog features a molded brick design on the midsole. There’s nothing else to it. It just looks dumb. Given its shape and giant size, it could serve as a bento box, one can only imagine. It’s possible this is a “me” problem. Maybe others don’t notice or don’t care. But theres a danger of being so overexposed, everywhere. Maybe you need to slow it down a bit, Lego. Not everything has to be AWESOME all the bloody time.
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Whether you call him groundhog, woodchuck, or whistle-pig, or use the full genus and species name, Marmota monax, the nations premier animal weather forecaster has been making headlines as Punxsutawney Phil for decades. The largest ground squirrel in its range, groundhogs like Phil are found throughout the midwestern United States, most of Canada, and into southern Alaska. M. monax is the most widespread marmot, while the Vancouver Island marmot (M. vancouverensis) is found only on one island in British Columbia. In total, there are 15 species in the genus Marmota, found around the world from as far south as the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico and the Pyrenees Mountains of Spain, and as far north as regions of Siberia and Alaska so dark and cold that the marmots must hibernate for up to nine months of the year. Hibernating to escape tough times Marmots, including all the actors who have played Phil over the years, are the largest true hibernators: animals that enter a torpor that reduces their biological functions to a level closer to dead than alive. Because this phenomenon is so interesting, scientists pay attention to all aspects of marmot anatomy and physiology. Basic observational science like this is important to advance our understanding of the world, and it sometimes leads to discoveries that improve human lives. Marmot studies are the foundation for experiments to address obesity, cardiovascular disease, mpox, stress, hepatitis, and liver cancer, and they may inform work on osteoporosis and organ transplantation. Aging seems to nearly stop during hibernation, as the marmot heart rate drops from nearly 200 beats per minute when active to about nine during hibernation. Similarly, their active body temperature can be 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius)about the same as a dog or catbut plummet to 41° F (5° C) when hibernating. Humans, in comparison, become hypothermic at a core temperature of 95° F (35° C). Fueling feast and famine Marmots only source of energy during the hibernation period is stored fat, which they may metabolize as slowly as 1 gram per day. But even that is a large amount when it must suffice for more than half a year. So, marmots need to double their weight during the summer, even in places where the season is only a few months long. To do so, they double the size of their hibernation-state gastrointestinal tract and liver, and then carefully select the most nutritious plants, including legumes, flowers, grains, and grasses. Despite their corpulence, they can also climb trees to eat buds and fruit. Gardener, architect, and menu item The digging and seed dispersal that accompany foraging create flower-filled meadows. Some marmots, like Mongolias Tarbagan marmot (M. siberica), are keystone species whose presence is associated with increased diversity of plants and predators. Marmot burrows are a key architectural component of many other animals habitats. Abandoned marmot excavations can provide temperature- and humidity-controlled housing for dozens of species, from frogs and foxes to snakes and owls. The same activities can make groundhogs a pest to people. In most of the Midwest, groundhog predators were largely eliminated at the same time that agricultural fields became vast marmot buffets. Today, many groundhog populations are tightly controlled by invasive coyotes, as well as recovering populations of bobcats. Because they are such a high-quality meal, marmots are an important conduit of energy from plants to carnivores. Everything from hawks to eagles, weasels to wolves, may eat them. And, like most native birds and mammals, marmots are on the menu of house cats, too. Humans also have long exploited marmots for meat and fur. As a result, once-common marmot species are rare in many places. But marmots breed like the proverbial bunnies and so have the potential to come back quickly from population declines. They can be reintroduced to former haunts, benefiting the ecosystem. Hibernation must end at the right time Shortly after waking from hibernation, marmots mate, giving birth about 4 weeks later to half a dozen or more offspring. Ideally, pups are born just as the first plants peak through the snowmeltmaximizing the time available to pack on fat for the coming hibernation season. Given the food needs of these big ground squirrels, and the fact they may be seen poking their heads above the snow before any food is available, it seems reasonable to assume that they have some power of weather prediction. Indeed, people celebrate scores of individual groundhogs across the U.S. and Canada for their ability to anticipate weather six weeks hence. This American groundhog tradition apparently started with German immigrants recalling the spring emergence of badgers and hedgehogs in the old country. Brown bears have a similar spring schedule and are still celebrated in Romania and Serbia. People ascribe weather-predicting abilities to other species, too, including woolly bear caterpillars, sheep, cats and dormice. One tradition holds that tree squirrel nests, called dreys, can predict the severity of the coming winter. Leafy dreys are well ventilated and privategood choices if you need less protection during a warm winter. More insulated hollow trees are cozy in the cold but communal, and so come with the risk of sharing parasites. As a squirrel researcher, I have noted the location, number, and size of nests for years but seen no discernible patterns related to weather. Weather responders, not weather predictors Despite traditional claims, youve probably already guessed that Phil and his friends are about as good at predicting the coming weather as that kid who answers C for every multiple choice question. A 2021 study on the subject reported that groundhogs predictions of spring onset (are) no better than chance. Thats right, groundhogs are correct 50% of the time. One big problem with relying on any species on a specific calendar day is that seasons follow latitude and altitude. Anyone who has hiked the Appalachian Trail can tell you that trekking from south to north maximizes your time in cool spring weather. Similarly, if you venture to the peaks of the Rockies in August, youll find spring wildflowers. For this reason, groundhogs in Alabama emerge from their dens much earlier than those in Wisconsin. As one Canadian newspaper put it in 1939: Here in Manitoba, no woodchuck in his senses would voluntarily emerge into the cold on February 2. Animals senses are tools for survival Modern technology can accurately predict the average weatherthat is, climatefar into the future, and the precise weather five days in advance. But the accuracy of a forecast at a given point on Earth 10 days in the future is only about 50%as good as a groundhog. However, many animals are sensitive to phenomena that humans need tools to even notice. Flocks of warblers, sparrows, and other birds sometimes seem to appear out of nowhere before a storm. These species often migrate at night, navigating across land and sea by the stars and Earths magnetic fields. To avoid getting lost in fog or blown off course, theyll fall out of the sky at good resting spots when bad weather is building. At such times, take the warblers advice and dont venture out on the water. Frogs chirping in spring indicate that water temperatures are warm enough for eggs, while air temperatures influence caterpillar hatching and activity. Farmers over the centuries have recorded the blooming dates of flowers over the years as a way to predict when to plant and harvest. Noticing and tracking timing of annual events Phenology is the study of these natural phenomena and their annual cycles, from the first springtime peek of a groundhog to the last autumn honk of a goose. When does the first flower bloom in your neighborhood, the first thunder clap rumble, or the last cricket chirp? No individual observation, even Phils, has the power to predict the weather. But in aggregate, these observations can tell us a lot about what the world is doing and predict how it will change. You can be like Phil and look for your shadow, or for a nice legume to eat, and then contribute to science by adding your observations to the National Phenology Network. Traditions dont need to be factually true to be useful. Groundhog shadows bring people together at a cold time of year to look at the clouds, notice buds on the trees, and track down the earliest green sprouts, such as skunk cabbage, which warms the snow around it. This Groundhog Day, get out there and enjoy nature as you celebrate the lengthening days and increased activities of the organisms we share this planet with. Steven Sullivan is the director of the Hefner Museum of Natural History at Miami University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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