Over 1,000 lawsuits have been filed by people who claim that social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram resulted in addiction, depression, and suicide.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Social Media Addiction cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was addicted to social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and others, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Social Media Addiction Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
What is Social Media Addiction?
Social media addiction is a compulsive behavior that causes a person to use social media excessively, with an uncontrollable urge to log on and post, watch, or engage with online content. Over time, it will negatively impact daily life, relationships, and responsibilities. In the most severe cases, it can lead to severe mental health issues and suicide.
Social Media Addiction Lawsuits
Social media platforms are used by billions of people worldwide, including millions of children. Tragically, many children are so addicted to social media that it has damaged their physical and mental health.
Some of the most popular social media platforms include:
- Meta
- TikTok
- Snapchat
- YouTube
- Twitter / X
What Do Lawsuits Claim?
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and other social media platforms can be addictive and harmful to younger uses. Children do not understand what is real and what is fake. What they see, read, and watch online can cause lifelong problems with body-image, self-esteem or trauma.
Now, a growing number of lawsuits claim that social media companies intentionally designed their platforms to be addictive — using algorithms to “hook” children into watching more and more content, regardless of whether that content was dangerous for mental health.
One example would be the infamous “TikTok Challenge” videos, which resulted in child deaths and young people stealing cars. There are countless more examples of children who used social media platforms and became addicted to the content they viewed online, including negative content.
Social Media Algorithms Lacked Safeguards to Protect Children
Until recently, social media algorithms did not have safeguards to prevent children from watching content that was toxic for mental health — for example, content glamorizing anorexia or depression.
How Can a Lawsuit Help?
If your child was harmed, our lawyers may be able to help you file a lawsuit. We are currently seeking social media addiction lawsuits for individuals who became addicted when they were under 21 years old.
Who Can File a Lawsuit?
You may be eligible to file a lawsuit if your child used social media and suffered a severe physical injury or mental health problem, such as:
- Social media addiction
- Suicide
- Self-harm
- Eating disorder (anorexia, etc.)
- Drug or alcohol addiction
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Other mental health problems
- Death
Social Media Addiction Class Action MDL
More than 1,000 lawsuits have already been filed against social media companies. Instead of a class action, these lawsuits are consolidated in a Multi-District Litigation (MDL) in the Northern District of California:
School District Lawsuits Against Social Media Companies
School district lawsuits against social media began with the Seattle Public Schools in January 2023, against TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, SnapChat, and YouTube. These social media companies were accused of “creating a youth mental health crisis.” Less than a year later, more than 200 lawsuits were filed by school districts nationwide.
State Attorney General Lawsuits for Social Media Addiction
Dozens of states have filed social media lawsuits against Meta and Instagram for profiting off the exploitation of children and teenagers:
“Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens. Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its social media platforms. … It has concealed the ways in which these platforms exploit and manipulate its most vulnerable consumers: teenagers and children.”
Do I Have a Social Media Addiction Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Social Media Addiction cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was addicted to social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and others, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Social Media Addiction Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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The Schmidt Firm, PLLC has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading plaintiffs' law firms and handles cases in all 50 states. We are very proud of our legal achievements, but equally self-respecting of our firm's reputation for providing personal attention to each and every client we represent.
