Meta announced new steps to expand protections for teen users across its platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. The update, shared via a company blog post, reflects Meta’s ongoing efforts to create safer, more age-appropriate experiences for younger users and to support parental involvement in their digital lives.

Scaling Up the Teen Accounts Experience

Since the initial launch of Instagram Teen Accounts last year, Meta has introduced a range of built-in safeguards. These include limitations on who can contact teen users, restrictions on sensitive content, and tools to help manage screen time. Teen users are automatically placed into these protective settings, and those under the age of 16 require parental or guardian approval to make changes.

As of April 2025, the company reports more than 54 million active Teen Accounts globally, with an impressive 97% of teens aged 13–15 choosing to remain under these default protections. The experience has since been extended to Facebook and Messenger, broadening the reach of these initiatives across Meta’s ecosystem.

Positive Feedback from Families

According to Meta, both teens and parents have responded favorably to these changes. In surveys conducted by the company, over 90% of parents said the Teen Account features were helpful in supporting their children’s online experiences.

Despite these encouraging numbers, Meta acknowledges the ongoing challenges parents face in navigating the digital world with their teens. “The internet can be overwhelming,” the company notes, emphasizing its commitment to continue evolving its tools in collaboration with parents and experts.

A New Call to Action for Parents

Beginning this week, Meta will roll out in-app notifications to parents on Instagram, encouraging discussions around digital safety and the importance of accurately representing age online. These notifications will include expert advice, such as guidance from Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart, a pediatric psychologist, on how to initiate age-related conversations with teens.

This effort is part of a broader push to ensure that teens are not only protected by default settings, but also understand the importance of truthful age disclosure in online environments.

AI-Driven Age Detection Now in Testing

To further strengthen its teen safety efforts, Meta is testing a new AI system in the United States designed to detect accounts that may belong to teens—even if the listed birthdate suggests otherwise. Once identified, these accounts will be automatically placed in Teen Account settings.

While Meta has previously used artificial intelligence to estimate user age, this marks a more proactive use of the technology. The company states that it is taking care to ensure accuracy in identifying teens and is providing users with the option to update their settings if errors occur.

More details about this AI approach and Meta’s broader age verification initiatives can be found here.

Looking Ahead

Meta acknowledges that determining the age of users online remains a complex, industry-wide challenge. The company emphasizes that while AI and in-app protections play a critical role, parental verification and age confirmation at the app store level remain among the most effective tools for ensuring safe, age-appropriate digital environments.

The Machiavellian Approach in Tech Leadership

Machiavellian leaders operate with a results-oriented mindset, focusing on long-term gains, often at the expense of short-term relationships. This approach is marked by key traits such as:

• Tactical Influence

The ability to influence employees, competitors, and investors to achieve their objectives.

• Pragmatic Decision-Making

Prioritizing efficiency and effectiveness over conventional ethics.

• Control and Power Consolidation

Ensuring that they maintain control over their company’s direction by eliminating potential threats or competition.

• Visionary Disruption

Using bold, sometimes controversial strategies to revolutionize industries.

Notable Tech Leaders with Machiavellian Traits

Several high-profile tech leaders exhibit qualities associated with Machiavellianism, helping them build empires while also attracting scrutiny for their methods.

Steve Jobs (Apple)

Steve Jobs was known for his intense focus, perfectionism, and an unyielding demand for excellence. His ability to manipulate situations, fire employees who didn’t meet his expectations, and cultivate a cult-like following around Apple products exemplified Machiavellian leadership. One of the most famous examples of his strategic approach was his ousting from Apple in 1985, only to return in 1997, orchestrating a dramatic comeback that redefined the company. Jobs also reportedly used a “reality distortion field” to push employees beyond their perceived limits.

Elon Musk (Tesla, SpaceX, X)

Elon Musk’s leadership is marked by his relentless pursuit of ambitious goals, sometimes pushing employees to extreme limits. He is known for making bold claims, disrupting industries, and strategically using social media to manipulate markets and public perception. A prime example was his infamous 2018 tweet: “Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured.”—which led to an SEC lawsuit and a $40 million settlement. His abrupt decisions, such as mass layoffs at Twitter (now X) after acquiring it, demonstrate his cutthroat approach to leadership.

Jeff Bezos (Amazon)

Bezos transformed Amazon from an online bookstore into a global e-commerce and cloud computing giant through calculated strategy and unwavering ambition. His intense focus on efficiency, cost-cutting, and leveraging data-driven insights to dominate markets showcases a pragmatic and results-driven leadership style. One example of his strategic control was Amazon’s aggressive pricing tactics to undercut competitors, leading to market dominance and antitrust scrutiny. Bezos also famously enforced a “two-pizza rule” for meetings to maximize efficiency and productivity. This rule states that no meeting should have more attendees than two pizzas can feed, typically around six to eight people. The idea is to keep discussions focused, decision-making streamlined, and avoid unnecessary bureaucracy—hallmarks of Amazon’s data-driven and highly efficient culture.

Discover Your Leadership Style in the Tech Industry – Are you a modern-day Machiavelli… ?

Mark Zuckerberg (Meta, formerly Facebook)

Zuckerberg’s rise to power involved strategic acquisitions, aggressive competitive tactics, and a relentless pursuit of growth. His ability to navigate regulatory scrutiny, outmaneuver rivals, and retain control over Meta despite challenges from investors and government agencies illustrates his mastery of power dynamics and strategic manipulation. A notable example is Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014, moves that eliminated key competition and solidified Meta’s dominance. Additionally, the Cambridge Analytica scandal showcased how Facebook prioritized growth over user privacy.

Travis Kalanick (Uber)

Kalanick, the co-founder and former CEO of Uber, epitomized Machiavellian leadership with his aggressive expansion strategies, disregard for traditional regulations, and a workplace culture that prioritized rapid growth over ethical considerations. His approach included launching Uber in cities without regulatory approval, using “Greyball” software to evade authorities, and fostering a cutthroat internal culture. His leadership ultimately led to controversy, and he was forced to resign in 2017 after a series of scandals.

The Ethical Dilemma and Potential Balance of Machiavellian Leadership

While Machiavellian leaders drive innovation and industry disruption, their leadership style raises ethical concerns. Their focus on results often comes at the cost of employee well-being, ethical business practices, and, in some cases, regulatory compliance. However, certain elements of Machiavellian leadership—such as discipline, strategic decision-making, and setting clear boundaries—can be beneficial when used to maintain organizational structure and efficiency. When combined with leadership styles that prioritize employee well-being, such as transformational or servant leadership, Machiavellian elements can create a balanced approach that fosters both innovation and a supportive work culture.

The question remains: Is the Machiavellian approach a necessary evil in the tech world, or does it set a dangerous precedent for future leaders?

In a pair of groundbreaking studies conducted by OpenAI in partnership with the MIT Media Lab, researchers have uncovered a growing trend: people are turning to AI chatbots not just for information, but for emotional support. These studies delve deep into the psychological and behavioral impacts of chatbot usage, and while they highlight some benefits, they also raise red flags about the potential downsides of forming emotional bonds with AI.

Human-Like Sensitivity in Machines

At the core of this phenomenon is the increasing perception among users that AI—particularly voice-enabled chatbots—can display “human-like sensitivity.” This perception is drawing users to open up to bots during challenging emotional moments. Whether people are dealing with loneliness, stress, or the desire for companionship, they’re finding comfort in AI’s always-available, non-judgmental presence.

The First Study: How Chatbots Influence Loneliness and Dependence

The first study, “How AI and Human Behaviors Shape Psychosocial Effects of Chatbot Use: A Longitudinal Randomized Controlled Study”, involved a four-week experiment with 981 participants and over 300,000 messages exchanged. Researchers examined how different modes of interaction—text, neutral voice, and engaging voice—and different conversation types (personal, non-personal, open-ended) influenced users’ emotional states.

Key findings include:

• Voice chatbots initially helped reduce loneliness more effectively than text-based ones. However, this benefit faded with high usage, particularly with neutral-voiced bots.
• Conversation topics mattered: Talking about personal issues slightly increased loneliness but decreased emotional dependence. Meanwhile, non-personal chats led to higher dependence among heavy users.
• High daily usage was a risk factor, consistently associated with increased loneliness, emotional reliance on the chatbot, and reduced social interaction with real people.
• Users with a stronger emotional attachment style or higher trust in the AI were more likely to experience negative psychosocial effects, including greater dependence and loneliness.

These results suggest that while AI chatbots may offer short-term emotional support, overreliance can be counterproductive, possibly replacing human interaction rather than supplementing it.

The Second Study: Affective Use and Emotional Well-Being with ChatGPT

The second study, “Investigating Affective Use and Emotional Well-being on ChatGPT”, expanded the lens by analyzing over 4 million ChatGPT conversations and surveying more than 4,000 users. In addition, a separate 28-day randomized controlled trial with nearly 1,000 participants looked at how different interaction modes affected emotional well-being.

This study found:

• Very high usage was again linked to emotional dependence, echoing the results of the first study.
• Voice mode’s impact varied depending on the user’s initial emotional state and duration of use—suggesting that voice interactions are more emotionally potent, but also potentially more risky.
• A small number of users accounted for the majority of emotionally charged interactions, hinting that those most vulnerable may be engaging more intensely with AI.

What This Means for the Future

Together, these studies shed light on the complex relationship between AI chatbot design and human emotional behavior. On one hand, the emotional responsiveness of AI—especially with voice-enabled features—can offer comfort, empathy, and a sense of connection. On the other, excessive use or reliance can increase feelings of loneliness and dependence, undermining genuine social connections.

As AI becomes more deeply integrated into daily life, these findings urge caution. Developers and designers may need to rethink how chatbot experiences are structured, potentially incorporating features that promote healthy usage and encourage real-world socialization.

Moreover, the research calls for ongoing studies to determine how AI can be emotionally supportive without replacing vital human relationships. The goal isn’t to eliminate emotional engagement with AI, but to better understand its boundaries—and to design responsibly within them.