Social Media Addiction Lawsuit

Let Our Law Firm Partners Manage Your Social Media Addiction Lawsuit

At The Goldwater Law Firm, our law firm partners do not believe in allowing corporations to take advantage of individuals and families. They should not make money off addictive products and apps with dangerous designs. We refuse to allow tech companies to profit from the mental health concerns they cause young people. Instead, we fight for our clients to recover maximum compensation.

We understand why you are angry and frustrated at these companies. We know you and your loved ones are facing complex challenges. Our law firm partners are here to help, just like we have for over 20 years.

To this end, our co-counsel is filing social media addiction lawsuits that accuse these companies of intentionally building an addictive product and promoting dangerous content that could—and does—increase the risk of mental health concerns, including suicidal thoughts.

We are an award-winning firm and one of the most widely recognized nationwide. You can trust our co-counsel to build a compelling case, including working with an extensive network of physicians, specialists, and industry experts. Our co-counsel handles mass tort and personal injury cases based on contingency. This means you pay nothing upfront and only pay us if you win. Contact us today to learn more.

Understanding the Link Between Social Media Addiction and Mental Health

Our co-counsel is filing lawsuits against tech companies that own social media platforms based on the mental health risks they pose to tweens, teens, and young people. We strongly believe these platforms play a significant role in the development of mental health problems among young users today.

Numerous studies with varying approaches have come to similar conclusions. Excessive social media use is linked to harmful effects and several diagnosable conditions in young people, including depression, anxiety, self-esteem concerns, and body dysmorphia. Some of these findings are so profound that the excessive use of social media and its effects on mental health might be considered a significant risk to public health, especially among children and adolescents.

Research—and anecdotal evidence from the lawsuits already filed—shows an increased risk for specific mental health issues in young people who use social media in an overly involved, excessive way. Constantly checking and using these platforms can lead to young people feeling anxious and depressed, unfairly comparing themselves and their lives to others, and potentially causing suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts.

Social Media Addiction Shows Up on Medical Imaging

A peer-reviewed case review published in PLOS Mental Health looked at MRIs taken of teen brains to determine the effects of internet use. The MRIs showed changes in the teens’ neural networks. These changes could cause behavioral changes, as well. Less impulse control and a lack of cognitive thinking are both possible changes.

This is just one of many studies our co-counsel might use to support your social media lawsuit against these tech companies. These studies help us to present a compelling case and convince a jury that extensive social media use causes neurodevelopmental concerns and mental health conditions.

What Is the Premise of the Social Media Addiction Lawsuit?

The social media addiction lawsuits allege that the tech companies behind the major social media apps made their interfaces addictive on purpose. They wanted users to frequently check and engage with content and even intentionally employed specific psychological tactics to ensure users would continue to view, update, read, and interact with their apps and websites for extended periods on a daily—or even hourly—basis.

The lawsuits seek to hold these social media companies accountable for being negligent in their responsibility to safeguard users against the mental health issues linked to excessive use and addiction. They accuse the tech companies of failing to implement proper rules and guidelines to protect young users.

In addition to not taking action to protect users, the lawsuits allege they intentionally built-in features that added to the addictive nature of the apps. This includes designing an algorithm that makes users want to remain on the app and rewards engagement.

The lawsuits, many of which are now consolidated into a mass tort, target all the major social media platforms and the tech companies that developed them. This includes:

• Facebook and Instagram, owned by Meta Platforms, Inc.
• Snapchat, owned by Snap Inc.
• TikTok, owned by ByteDance
• YouTube, owned by Alphabet Inc. (Google)

A Los Angeles Times reporter who reviewed an unredacted version of a lawsuit against Meta Platforms learned that the allegations show employees of some of these companies—specifically Meta Platforms and ByteDance—knew about the potentially dangerous risks of tweens and teens using their platforms but ignored the reports and continued to engineer apps with harmful mental health effects.

What Are the Mental Health Diagnoses That Could Support a Social Medial Addiction Lawsuit?

The social media addiction lawsuits to date have covered a wide range of mental health effects and outcomes. At the heart of most of these cases is a significant and dramatic negative impact on confidence and self-esteem. As young social media users look at pictures and videos of others daily, they see only filtered and idealized versions of them and their lives.

This makes many young users feel inadequate. They worry they are missing out on activities or were not invited to spend time with friends, which is where the ubiquitous “FOMO” (fear of missing out) originated.

Excessive social media usage has also been linked to the following mental health concerns:

Suicidal Ideation

Suicidal thoughts, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts have occurred in frequent social media users who reported symptoms of other mental health concerns. Unfortunately, too many of these attempts have been successful. Those facing these negative thoughts, suicide survivors, and the remaining family members of those who took their own lives may qualify to file a case and fight for justice.

Depression

When tweens and teens view an endless stream of carefully filtered and curated posts on numerous social media platforms, it can trigger significant negative feelings about themselves and their lives. They may feel depressed and even show signs of clinical depression.

Anxiety

Young people tend to put a lot of pressure on creating and curating their social media profiles and posts. This quest to only portray their best side or need content to look perfect can contribute to significantly increased worry and anxiety. Some adolescent social media users have received a diagnosis of social anxiety or generalized anxiety disorder.

Eating Disorders

Social media posts promote unrealistic body types and standards, many of which are impossible even for the person pictured. They are only achieved through filtering and touch-ups. The regular viewing of these images can lead to eating disorders or body dysmorphia, in which people become obsessed with what they believe to be negative parts of their physical appearance.

Eating disorders can cause serious, harmful physical effects and even death.

What Are the Signs of Social Media Addiction and Related Mental Health Concerns?

Social media addiction among adolescents is serious enough that the U.S. Surgeon General has issued a warning about the harmful effects excessive use can have on mental health. Some of the signs children, tweens, teens, and young adults who have developed unhealthy relationships with social media might show include:

• Choosing to use social media or online networking instead of spending time with family and friends
• Showing signs of anxiety when they cannot access social media apps
• Altering their schedule, such as getting up early to use social media
• Showing a preoccupation or obsession with getting likes and positive comments
• Ruminating over negative comments or online interactions
• Neglecting chores, homework, school, or other responsibilities to use social media
• Missing out on real-life experiences to use social media instead
• Hiding their online or social media behavior
• Needing to check social media notifications immediately
• Interrupting everyday activities or forgoing important activities for social media

If you recognize these signs in yourself or your adolescent, consult a therapist or counselor to learn more about your options for treating the addiction and healing. Then, contact The Goldwater Law Firm to learn if you meet the criteria to file a social media addiction lawsuit.

Who Has a Social Media Addiction Lawsuit?

If you are a young adult or your teen, tween, or child has a documented mental health concern and has an extensive history of daily social media use, you could have a case against the tech companies that developed these platforms.

To recover damages in a social media addiction lawsuit, plaintiffs will likely need to show:

• The tech company had a duty to provide a safe service and app for all users, especially minors.
• The social media company breached its duty, providing an unsafe and addictive environment for young users.
• There is a causal relationship between the excessive use of social media and the diagnosed mental health concerns.
• They suffered harm or damages because of their social media addiction, including depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, or other conditions.

Currently, plaintiffs in the social media addiction mass tort are working with experts, reviewing studies, and gathering evidence to show that tech companies negligently designed, managed, and marketed their social media platforms. The lawsuits allege that they purposefully included addictive features and engineered interfaces to make it difficult to walk away from these platforms easily.

What Damages Do Plaintiffs Seek in Social Media Addiction Lawsuits?

The remedies available for plaintiffs injured due to excessive social media use depend greatly on the severity of their mental health effects, their necessary treatment, and other factors. Some of the recoverable damages could include:

Medical Expenses

The medical expenses in these cases generally include treatment and support for psychological or psychiatric treatment, therapy, and other medical health care, as well as treatment for any physical injuries that occurred because of mental health concerns or addiction.

Lost Income

Plaintiffs can seek compensation for time missed working due to the addiction. This could include diminished earning capacity if their addiction, mental health condition, or physical injuries affect their ability to work in the future.

Educational Losses

Social media addiction and the linked mental health care concerns could make it difficult for children, tweens, teens, and college students to attend class and learn. These lawsuits could recover costs related to their educational losses, including needing to repeat classes, tutoring, additional coursework, lost scholarships, and other expenses and losses.

Related Expenses

It may be possible to recover related expenses incurred because of excessive social media use. This could include attorney’s fees, court costs, and more. Our co-counsel will gather receipts and other documentation of related expenses to help you get the compensation you need.

Loss of Enjoyment of Life

Depression, anxiety, and many other effects of social media addiction cause a loss of enjoyment in life. Plaintiffs may qualify to recover compensation for this type of intangible loss.

Pain and Suffering

“Pain and suffering” refers to both physical and emotional pain that occurs because of social media addiction and the resulting mental health conditions. This could include cash to compensate plaintiffs for the emotional distress they endured.

Wrongful Death

Family members who lost loved ones to social media addiction-related suicide may qualify to recover damages through a wrongful death claim.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are not common in personal injury cases but could be available for some plaintiffs in social media addiction lawsuits. They serve to penalize defendants and deter similar behavior. They are only available when the evidence clearly shows that the defendant acted maliciously or recklessly.

Injunctive Relief

The ruling or settlement in a social media addiction lawsuit could include some type of injunctive relief. This might be true in the pending mass tort, too. Injunctive relief is not monetary damage awarded to the plaintiffs. Instead, it is a requirement for a behavior change.

In these cases, it might involve implementing specific safeguards for minors on social media platforms, issuing warnings about addiction, or providing a helpline for those who might need help with their social media addiction.

How Will Our Co-Counsel Handle Your Social Media Addiction Lawsuit?

The Goldwater Law Firm’s co-counsel is following the latest in the social media lawsuit, the evidence to support the cases, and the actions in the pending mass tort. They are well aware of the unique challenges of these cases and understand the dangers of excessive social media use and how it affects mental health and well-being.

If you or a loved one has a potential social media addiction concern, you can count on our co-counsel to navigate the process, build your case, and ensure you have the most compelling case possible. Our law firm partners understand how these cases work and can even call in psychology experts to support your claim.

When you work with our co-counsel, you will:

• Identify the potentially liable parties
• Have the latest research and evidence to support your claim
• Understand the recoverable damages
• Have someone handling your lawsuit and navigating the process
• Have someone on your side who answers your questions and provides frequent case updates
• Negotiate a fair settlement when possible
• Have an advocate in negotiations, at trial, and throughout the entire process
• Negotiate a fair settlement value if possible
• Have strong representation in court if your case goes to trial

Contact us today for your free consultation. We will assess your prospects for a social media addiction lawsuit and explain your next steps to join the mass tort already in progress.

Social Media Addiction Multidistrict Litigation Is Already Underway

A mass tort based on social media addiction in adolescents is already underway. This is MDL 3047 IN RE: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation. This case is currently under the oversight of Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

According to the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, as of July 1, 2024, there were 499 pending cases in mass tort. These cases come from many states and represent a wide range of mental health concerns and damages.

What Is Multidistrict Litigation?

Multidistrict litigation (MDL) is a type of mass tort that allows plaintiffs with similar cases against the same defendants to consolidate for pretrial motions, discovery, and several bellwether trials. In this case, hundreds of social media lawsuits are consolidated into a single MDL, MDL 3047.

The plaintiffs in an MDL each have their own attorney. They will coordinate the discovery process, manage pretrial motions, and guide the case through this process.

This process includes several bellwether trials. These trials allow each side to try their arguments and see how a judge and jury will react to the evidence. The verdict does not apply to any other cases in the MDL. However, they often compel defendants to make a settlement offer when the plaintiff wins a payout.

MDL settlement offers are often global or tiered. Plaintiffs may accept or reject settlement offers with guidance from their attorneys.

What Does This Mean for My Social Media Addiction Lawsuit?

Our co-counsel continues to file lawsuits on behalf of social media users and the parents of minors who struggle with social media addiction. We can help you join the MDL or pursue compensation for your case in another way.

If you participate in the MDL, there are several possible ways we could win compensation in your case. One is by accepting a settlement, which is the most common way lawyers successfully recover money for their clients in mass torts.

What Is the Deadline for Filing a Social Media Addiction Lawsuit?

The social media addiction MDL is progressing quickly. They have already made bellwether trial selections, and the first case could go to trial as early as October 2025. However, it is still relatively early in the process. New cases still join the MDL each month.

However, you should act quickly if you believe you have a case. You can still join the MDL or pursue other options for seeking justice.