Social Media Depression Lawsuit

Let Our Team Evaluate Your Options for Filing a Social Media Depression Lawsuit

The Goldwater Law Firm is currently reviewing cases for the social media depression lawsuit. For over 20 years, our firm has fought for victims hurt by giant corporations, and our law firm partners are now taking on the tech companies. We will not sit back and let them continue to harm children, tweens, and teens.

Our team has strategic partnerships with award-winning, successful law firms nationwide, and we can link you with co-counsel near you. We are helping people in all 50 states file social media addiction lawsuits and join the ongoing mass tort. When you work with an attorney from our law firm partners, you have a strong advocate on your side fighting for justice throughout this process.

We understand that it may be difficult to decide to reach out to our team to learn more about these cases. It is normal to feel anxious and angry when you realize the damage these social media platforms can cause. You can expect our team to greet you with empathy and respect. Our initial consultations are always free, and our law firm partners work based on contingency. You will pay nothing upfront and no attorney’s fees unless you receive compensation in your case.

What Is the Basis of the Social Media Depression Lawsuit?

Depression is one of the harmful effects included in the social media addiction lawsuits that plaintiffs are filing nationwide. These lawsuits allege that social media companies who designed the platforms were aware of the risk of compulsive use but purposefully chose algorithms that encourage frequent engagement.

The complaints link several serious mental health issues to excessive use of social media platforms, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, body image issues (such as body dysmorphia), and suicidal thoughts. In addition, they claim these platforms make the exploitation of children easier.

When it comes to depression, the plaintiffs allege that cyberbullying, comparing oneself to other people’s idealized online versions, and exposure to stressful content increases dark, hopeless, and sad feelings to the point that some users receive a depression diagnosis.

The defendants in these lawsuits are all major tech companies and their social media platforms are used by millions of people each day. This includes:

• Meta Platforms, Inc.: Facebook and Instagram
• ByteDance: TikTok
• Snap, Inc.: Snapchat
• Alphabet Inc.: YouTube and Google

The allegations in these lawsuits are clear. The plaintiffs—backed by research and experts—believe that social media platforms:

• Must provide a safe place for all users, including minors
• Ensure their products are non-addictive and do not cause harm
• Should pay for the harm done
• Take action to reduce the risk of harm in the future

These lawsuits make it clear that the plaintiffs believe the designers of these social media platforms were negligent by:

• Designing and providing an addictive, damaging app and platform
• Offering an addictive service when a user might develop serious mental health concerns with excessive use
• Causing young users to develop depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, suicidal ideation, eating disorders, and other mental health conditions

If you believe you or your minor child might fit this criteria, contact us today. During our free consultation, you can learn if you qualify to join the mass tort or file another type of lawsuit to hold these social media companies responsible for the harm they cause.

Damages Potentially Recoverable in the Social Media Lawsuit

When you file a claim and join the social media depression lawsuit, you may recover money for your related damages. This usually occurs through a settlement, although a court award is also possible. In both instances, the relief potentially available covers the damages you suffered, both economic and non-economic.

Economic Damages

When you suffer depression and other injuries due to social media addiction, you likely also have related expenses you or your family must pay. Filing a lawsuit could help you recover money to cover these costs. They could include a wide range of expenses documented by bills, receipts, and other paperwork.

Some examples include your current and future mental health care and support to treat your depression, legal costs for handling your case, travel expenses to get the necessary care, and other out-of-pocket expenses or losses incurred.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages cannot be easily calculated because they stem from intangible losses. They include emotional pain and suffering endured by users who developed serious depression, suicidal thoughts, and other symptoms. Emotional distress is often a big part of these damages.

Your attorney will know how to estimate the potential non-economic damages in your case, helping you understand what a fair settlement might look like.

Injunctive Relief

Injunctive relief includes all the actions the liable parties agree to take as part of a settlement agreement or because they are ordered to do so by a judge. This could include multiple changes to how their platforms work and their services. Plaintiffs will have a say in the types of injunctive relief that might help.

Examples could include adding options for support for users who are feeling suicidal, limiting the distressing posts or potentially harmful content shown in feeds, and altering the algorithm to reward happier, positive posts.

What Do I Need to Know About MDL 3047, the Social Media Depression Lawsuit?

The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) officially consolidated the social media depression lawsuits into a mass tort. This is now MDL 3047 IN RE: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation. An MDL brings many lawsuits based on the same facts together to work through pre-trial motions and discovery.

Following this process, several bellwether trials will occur. The outcome of these trials does not directly affect any other cases in the MDL, but the verdicts could encourage settlement offers and resolve many or all of the cases in the MDL.

Some facts about MDL 3047 include:

• As of July 1, 2024, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation listed just under 500 plaintiffs participating.
• Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California is overseeing the MDL.
• The first bellwether case could begin as soon as October 2025.

There is still time to file your lawsuit and join the hundreds of other plaintiffs seeking justice through MDL 3047. Participating in a mass tort allows you to share the costs of building your case and navigating the civil court system with other injured parties, significantly reducing the cost of recovering compensation.

Depending on how the case progresses and the evidence uncovered, settlement offers could be made before or after the bellwether cases. The cases in the MDL that do not drop their lawsuit or settle can return to their original jurisdiction to go to trial if they wish.

Our Co-Counsel Provides Support and Representation in Social Media Depression Lawsuits

When our law firm partners represent you in a social media lawsuit, you can count on them to take care of all the necessary tasks, so you only need to focus on your treatment and recovery from depression or your child’s mental health care.

Your social media attorney will build and file your case, taking steps that include:

• Reviewing the facts of your case and gathering evidence
• Obtaining the relevant medical records
• Identifying the defendants
• Documenting your damages

They will know how the process works and represent your best interests as the case progresses through the necessary phases. At-fault parties in mass torts often make settlement offers to avoid going to trial. When possible, your attorney will negotiate to reach an appropriate settlement for you.

If necessary, your lawyer will take your social media lawsuit back to the original jurisdiction to go to trial.