New York City is suing a handful of social media networks, alleging their platforms’ designs exploit young users’ mental health and cost the city $100 million in related health programs and services each year.
In the lawsuit against TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and YouTube, the city of New York said the platforms are responsible for an uptick in mental health issues among young people, including depression and suicide ideation. These issues, the lawsuit states, impose a “large burden on cities, school districts and public hospital systems that provide mental health services to youth.”
The lawsuit comes shortly after executives from social media platforms faced tough questions from lawmakers during the latest congressional hearings over how their platforms may direct younger users – and particularly teenage girls – to harmful content, damaging their mental health and body image.
