San Francisco
Hundreds of families in the US are filing lawsuits against major social media platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and Meta (Facebook and Instagram’s parent company), claiming that these tech companies are big, bad monsters with adverse effects on children’s mental health. Plaintiffs, including ordinary families and school districts, are seeking legal action against Meta, TikTok, Google, and Snap Inc. The lawsuits allege that these platforms are addictive and contribute to harmful effects on children’s mental well-being. One of the key examples cited is the case of 14-year-old British schoolgirl Molly Russell, who tragically ended her life after being exposed to online content related to suicide, depression, and anxiety. Taylor Little, a 21-year-old involved in the lawsuit, shared her experience of social media addiction leading to suicide attempts and years of depression. She emphasized the unbearable withdrawal symptoms when her phone was taken away and highlighted the addictive nature of the platforms. In a recent development, a federal court in the US rejected the social media giants’ motion to dismiss dozens of lawsuits, allowing the legal proceedings to move forward. The ruling stated that these platforms, through their defective design, have contributed to a youth mental health crisis, especially affecting children still developing impulse control.
