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Meta agrees to $18 billion settlement over teen social media harms

Meta has reached a proposed settlement worth up to approximately $18 billion with a bipartisan coalition of 52 attorneys generals over allegations that Facebook and Instagram were deliberately designed to encourage compulsive use by children and teenagers.

The settlement, which is awaiting court approval, resolves a lawsuit filed in 2023 by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general.

The lawsuit accused Meta of designing features that drove compulsive use among young users while misleading users, families, and the public about the risks of its platforms.

Infrasound exposure is linked to aversive responding, negative appraisal, and elevated salivary cortisol in humans

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Infrasound describes sound wave frequencies below 20 Hz, which are typically imperceptible to humans. Some animals perceive and demonstrate aversion to infrasound, raising concerns about its potential adverse effects as an anthropogenic pollutant. Recent research suggests humans may also respond to infrasound, despite being below the conventional limit of human hearing. This study explored the non-auditory impact of infrasound on human mood and stress responding.