Mexico's Education Secretary: 'Infinite Scrolling' Fuels Compulsive Behavior; Algorithms Aren't Neutral

Mexico's Secretary of Public Education (SEP), Mario Delgado, has asserted that algorithms are inherently non-neutral and can contribute to compulsive behavior, particularly among children and adolescents. He highlighted how constant engagement with smartphones, driven by features like infinite scrolling, notifications, and automatic playback, can lead to users being "glued to the screen."

“

The scrolling infinite, the notifications, the automatic playback, the recommendation algorithms are making us glued to the screen and the use can become compulsive. Those most exposed are children, girls and adolescents.

Delgado explained that while digital platforms offer benefits for communication, learning, and information access, they also incorporate sophisticated mechanisms designed to capture and prolong user attention. These features, he argued, are intentionally crafted to maximize engagement time, potentially leading to compulsive usage patterns.

“

These algorithms are not neutral; they have a certain orientation.

The SEP head emphasized that algorithms are not impartial; they reflect human decisions, priorities, and interests translated into mathematical language. Digital devices, therefore, are not passive tools but active participants that stimulate and shape user behavior. This influence extends beyond the digital realm, impacting how individuals perceive reality, interact with others, and engage in democratic life by shaping the content they see and amplify.

“

Digital devices are not passive tools; they make decisions, interact, stimulate, and shape our behaviors.

Addressing the national debate on smartphone use in schools, Delgado described the current situation as an "unequal relationship." He pointed out that families must contend with large corporations possessing vast amounts of data, specialized expertise, and control over algorithm design. The SEP advocates for collective action that places the well-being of children and youth above the commercial interests driving these platforms, framing the constant use of cell phones as a significant public health concern.

“

We are facing a very unequal relationship, because families, well, they have to face the big companies that have all the data, have all the specialists, and have the design of the algorithms.