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The conversation about social media and young people has been largely about what to take away. Devices. Screen Time. Push Notifications. Agenda-driven algorithms.

It’s time to start talking about what we’re prepared to give them instead, especially as courts begin holding tech companies accountable. 

With news of Meta’s $17.1 billion settlement with 47 states and Washington, D.C., communities are beginning to see the scale of initial payouts. They now have the opportunity to move the conversation from accountability to repairs. 

This and other lawsuits moving through the legal system — brought by state attorneys general, school districts and families — focus on how much the social media company executives knew, whether they created a public nuisance and whether the companies should be held liable for rising rates of anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges among young people. 

The settlement agreement explicitly mentions funding for solutions, from youth programs to sports and dance, but not at the scale or scope of the harm that social media platforms have done. The work moving forward is to pay close attention to where the money actually goes, and .

So where should the funds go?

That question deserves as much public attention as the lawsuits themselves, because this isn’t simply about accountability. It’s about what comes next, and what to learn from past missteps.

The answer is simple: Fund real life.

When our nonprofit organization has done focus groups with young people, they’ve told us exactly what they hope those investments will look like. More places to gather with friends and caring adults to talk to. More mentors, leadership opportunities and access to youth programs. In fact, an of more than 87,000 Crisis Text Line conversations found that, during moments of crisis, young people consistently pointed to sources of relief that had little to do with technology: relationships, sports, music, books, movement, nature, counseling and places where they felt connected.

In short, they want more real life experiences and opportunities. So, if we’re serious about helping young people thrive, then we have to do more than reduce screen time.

As social media companies are required to pay for the harm their platforms have caused to young people, communities can’t let those dollars disappear into state budgets or unrelated priorities. There are critical decisions to make now.

History tells us that large-scale lawsuit payouts can either create lasting change or get lost in the political and economic shuffle. Following tobacco settlements, many states diverted funds away from prevention and public health. More recently, opioid settlements have prompted ongoing debates over whether resources are reaching the communities most affected.

State attorneys general, the courts and state legislative bodies have an opportunity to write a different story and ensure these dollars do more than compensate for harm, but infuse new support and opportunities — offline — that young people are craving and calling for.

As we speak, the courts and Congress are deciding how to regulate social media: limiting harm, focusing on less screen time, better age verification, more parental controls and safer platform design. 

While those measures are crucial, they only answer one question: How does society reduce exposure to what hurts young people?

They leave an equally important question unanswered: What should young people experience instead? The answer is: funding real life.

That means investing in the afterschool programs where students discover new passions and community organizations where they find trusted adults. It means supporting the recreation centers where friendships are built and the arts programs where confidence grows. Opening doors to libraries that spark curiosity and summer learning programs that keep kids engaged. Helping youth explore employment and apprenticeship opportunities that give them purpose. 

It also means addressing limiting factors, from transportation to funding, that reduce access to parks, sports leagues, community organizations, employment and mentoring programs that create connections long before a social media feed ever can. And it means doing the important work of creating forums for safe digital engagement, as well as mental health services and support.

This isn’t wishful thinking. It is supported by decades of research showing that these experiences strengthen mental health, increase belonging, build resilience and help young people develop the confidence and relationships that protect them long after they put down their phones. Yet, these are often the investments communities struggle to sustain. With an estimated annual revenue of $422 billion across Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snap, Inc., the irony couldn’t be more clear.

While leaders debate the effects of digital platforms on childhood, our communities continue to underinvest in the very experiences that bolster youth health and wellbeing.

That’s why the launched , bringing together a growing coalition of leading youth development, mental health and community organizations around a shared vision. We believe that if social media companies are required to compensate communities for the harms associated with their products, those resources should strengthen the very experiences that help young people flourish offline.

Lawsuits will determine whether social media companies bear legal responsibility for the harms alleged against them. State leaders will determine something equally important: whether these settlements become another missed opportunity — or a once-in-a-generation investment in childhood itself.

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