"They monetize our attention. The way they get that attention is by influencing you and using dark patterns or tricks to do it. The way they do it with children is they say "How many likes or followers do you have?" They basically get children addicted to getting attention from other people. They use filters, likes, etc. Beautification filters that enhance your self image and after 2 decades in decline, the mental health of teen girls high depressive symptoms went up 170% after the year 2010 with the rise of Instagram, etc. These are your children...this is a real issue because we're hacking the self image of children."
Tristan Harris, President, Center for Humane Technology testifying at a 1/8/2020 congressional hearing entitled “Americans at Risk: Manipulation and Deception in the Digital Age.”
11 minute clip of testimony and Q&A here: