February 17, 2026
Spin or symptom? You decide
Instagram boss says 16 hours of daily use is 'problematic' not addiction
Internet rolls eyes, asks “so when is it addiction—26 hours?” and drags Insta over bullying
TLDR: Instagram’s boss told a jury that 16 hours a day on the app is “problematic,” not “addiction,” in a trial testing Big Tech’s responsibility for teen mental health. Commenters mocked the distinction, spotlighted bullying stats and 300 reports, and blasted past “Instagram for Kids” vibes while debating semantics versus harm.
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri told a Los Angeles jury that even 16 hours in a day on Instagram is “problematic,” not “addiction”—and the internet basically replied: oh, come on. The thread exploded with sarcasm, with one quip asking if addiction starts at 26 hours, while another sniped that teens need sleep, so 16 hours on one app is a massive red flag. Others came armed with receipts: a company survey reportedly found 60% of users saw or experienced bullying in a week, and the teen plaintiff allegedly filed 300 bullying reports—fuel for commenters grilling Mosseri for saying he didn’t know.
Cue the drama: critics dragged Mosseri’s past support of “Instagram for Kids,” with one commenter dubbing him the “light of moral clarity” and linking to this NPR takedown. Meanwhile, a quieter but sharp debate broke out over semantics vs. harm: some argued that distinguishing “clinical addiction” from “problematic use” is real, while others said it sounds like PR hairsplitting when filters that change faces were only “modified” not fully banned. The fact that Snapchat and TikTok settled while YouTube remains in the suit added to the courtroom theater, as parents rallied outside holding photos of lost children. Verdict pending, but online opinion is loud: call it what you want—16 hours is not a healthy flex.
Key Points
- •Instagram head Adam Mosseri testified in a Los Angeles trial about social media’s impact on a minor’s mental health.
- •Mosseri said heavy use can be “problematic” but is not necessarily clinical addiction and varies by individual.
- •Meta argues the plaintiff’s difficulties predated social media use and questions whether Instagram was a substantial factor.
- •An internal Meta survey of 269,000 users found 60% saw or experienced bullying in the previous week; plaintiff filed 300+ bullying reports.
- •Meta debated appearance-altering image filters in 2019; Mosseri said a ban beyond makeup effects was implemented then later “modified.”