Jillian Michaels urges parents to fight back against Big Tech's 'addictive' grip on kids

Fitness trainer and media personality Jillian Michaels is urging parents to "keep the pressure on" social media companies, warning about the platforms' allegedly "addictive" algorithms and content. Michaels made the comments during an appearance on "The Faulkner Focus" while promoting her new Fox Nation documentary, "Toxic 2: A Generation on the Brink." She advised parents to limit their children's access to online activities.

Mental Health Concerns

Michaels examines the risks she says children face in the modern age, including excessive screen time, mental health issues and over-medicalization. "The truth is, a lot of parents probably don't realize the scale of what kids are dealing with today," she said. "From day one, the fragile little bodies and brains of the tiniest and most vulnerable among us are being targeted, treated and toxified from all angles."

Michaels is joined by several experts in the documentary, including psychology researcher Jean Twenge, who argues that individuals who begin using smartphones at an early age are more likely to experience mental health issues later in life.

Industry Response

Social media companies have faced increasing pressure to be regulated and be held accountable for the potential effects of their platforms. In August, Meta agreed to pay as much as $17.1 billion and implement restrictions on teen accounts to settle claims that it designed Facebook and Instagram to addict children and misled the public about the platforms' safety. Meta denied the allegations.

Michaels emphasized the need for continued pressure on tech companies: This is the part where we also have to continue putting pressure on the social media companies to make their algorithms safer for kids. They created an addictive product, they know it, and we need to keep the pressure on.

Global Actions

France has become the first EU nation to ban social media for children under 15, reflecting growing international concern about the impact of digital platforms on young users. Twenge noted that younger generations are increasingly aware of these issues, citing phrases like 'chronically online' and 'brain rot' that have emerged to describe negative effects of technology.

For more on the potential risks personal tech poses to young children, viewers can watch "Toxic 2: A Generation on the Brink," now streaming on Fox Nation. The documentary explores how children are being targeted from an early age and examines the consequences of excessive screen time on developing minds.