Meta settlement money should be used to build something better for kids

South Dakota is set to receive at least $52.6 million from Meta, with the total potentially reaching $73.5 million. The money will be paid over the next decade because of the harm social media platforms have caused young people. Now comes the question that will determine whether this settlement changes their lives: What will South Dakota do with the money?

For years, the conversation about young people and social media has focused on what we should take away: phones during class, push notifications, harmful content, endless scrolling and screen time that turns 15 minutes into two hours before anyone notices. But if we are serious about helping young people, we cannot stop at telling them to put their phones down. We also have to give them something meaningful to step into when they do.

That means afterschool and summer programs, sports, arts, recreation, outdoor experiences, libraries, community centers, mentors, trusted adults, youth jobs, leadership opportunities and mental health support that young people can reach. These are sometimes treated as extras. They are instead part of the infrastructure of a healthy childhood and, in South Dakota, part of what allows families to work and communities to thrive.

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The problem is not a lack of interest. Young people want these opportunities, and families are looking for them. Too often, however, the opportunity is too expensive, too far away, already full or simply does not exist. A recent South Dakota report estimated that roughly 60,000 school-age children need afterschool or summer care, while only about 20,000 are currently being served. That leaves 40,000 young people without access to a program their families want or need.

Cost, location and transportation are among the biggest barriers, especially in rural and tribal communities, where the nearest option may be 30, 40 or even 60 miles away. A good program does not help a family if there is no open seat or no practical way for a child to get there.

The Meta settlement gives South Dakota an opportunity to close some of those gaps. It also gives us an opportunity to repeat old mistakes. Large tobacco and opioid settlements have shown how money intended to address a specific harm can be diluted, diverted or absorbed into unrelated spending when clear priorities and public accountability are missing. South Dakota should decide that this money will be different.

Before settlement dollars are spent, state leaders should establish a clear, public and youth-informed plan. The money should directly prevent, reduce and repair harms associated with social media while supporting healthy development. It should add to current investments, not replace funding for education, mental health, recreation, libraries or youth development elsewhere in the budget. The public should be able to see where the money goes, who benefits and what results are measured.

Young people and families should have a voice in those decisions alongside educators, mental health professionals, and organizations that serve youth. Leaders should pay close attention to communities with the fewest options, neighborhoods without safe gathering spaces and areas facing shortages of transportation, programming or mental health professionals.

South Dakota should resist spreading the money across a collection of short-term projects and calling the job finished. One-time grants can help, but lasting change requires capacity: trained and stable staff, more program slots, dependable transportation, safe facilities and stronger networks connecting families with care and opportunity. Fund IRL is a coalition working to ensure any payouts from current social media lawsuits help fund programs and services that promote youth wellbeing and healthy development. Its guidance offers a practical framework, calling for investment across a continuum that includes positive youth development, real-life alternatives, safer digital engagement and mental health services delivered through community organizations, schools and clinical settings.

No single program will meet every young person’s needs. A teenager might find belonging on a basketball court, confidence on a stage, purpose through a summer job or support from a counselor. What matters is that the opportunity exists and that they can reach it.

The goal cannot simply be fewer hours on a phone. It should be more hours spent building friendships, discovering talents, moving, creating, learning, working and being surrounded by adults who know a young person’s name and notice when they do not show up.

South Dakota has the chance to turn corporate accountability into real-life opportunity. Before the first dollars are spent, our leaders should commit to a transparent, youth-informed plan that invests in the programs, places, relationships and support young South Dakotans need to thrive. Money intended to repair harm to young people should reach young people. That is what real repair can look like.