Ripple effect: Social media addiction has been a subject of public debate for years, but time spent on apps like TikTok and Instagram keeps climbing. Meta has now confirmed it’s using AI to personalize the Instagram feed, and that shift is driving a sharp increase in the amount of time users spend on the platform.
During its Q2 2026 earnings call, Meta said its latest Reels ranking update, the largest one to date, drove a 15-basis-point increase in Instagram sessions. The number of “reshares” has also increased significantly, suggesting the app is doing a better job of surfacing content users actually want to see.
Speaking to investors and analysts, CFO Susan Li explained that the algorithm is specifically designed to track the type of videos people watch on Instagram and recommend similar content, keeping people hooked to the app. According to Li, the algorithm now offers more personalized content than ever, giving users more direct control over what they see.
Li added that the AI algorithm now allows Instagram to recommend newer content to users, with its largest models identifying high-quality Reels the moment they’re created. She noted that more than 50% of the recommended content in users’ feeds is now less than a day old, more than double what it was a year ago.
During the quarter, Meta also deployed its “Muse” family of LLMs to better classify content by topic and tone. Li said the company has already benefited from the new models across all its platforms and is now developing next-generation recommendation algorithms designed to power both organic content and targeted advertising.
But even as Meta touts the effectiveness of its AI algorithms in keeping users engaged, the company is facing multiple lawsuits alleging that it deliberately designs its recommendations to make its platforms addictive to teens and young adults, harming their mental health and contributing to a marked increase in anxiety, depression, and social isolation among its most loyal users.
Meta was sued by 40 US states for allegedly breaking their consumer protection laws and fueling a youth mental health crisis by encouraging teens to spend excessive time on its platforms. The lawsuits allege that, in pursuit of greater profits, Meta ignored internal studies indicating Instagram could harm teenagers’ mental health.
