Addictive by design? Assessing social media risk for Insurers

This episode explores the growing risk landscape surrounding social media addiction and its implications for insurers.

Behavioural addiction expert Professor Mark Griffiths from Nottingham Trent University explains why true social media addiction is rare, but problematic and excessive use - particularly among adolescents - is widespread and can lead to educational, occupational, and wellbeing related harms.

Professor Terry Flew from the University of Sydney discusses the accelerating push for age based regulation in Australia and the challenges of enforcing restrictions on global platforms, highlighting the tension between parental responsibility, tech company accountability, and national regulatory limits.

From the US, Kirsten Soto, Senior Counsel here at Clyde & Co, outlines the surge in litigation against social media companies, including claims from individuals, school districts, and state attorneys general alleging intentional design features that encourage addictive use. She also touches on early insurance coverage decisions suggesting that intentional design choices may limit insurers’ duty to defend.

Together, the panel provides insight into how addiction claims, regulatory shifts, and litigation trends may shape future exposure for insurers, and what claims and underwriting teams should be monitoring now.