Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Average Settlements

Average Settlement and Time Frame for a Social Media Lawsuit

Nobody can predict the value or time frame for a social media addiction settlement in advance. The amount you can recover in a social media addiction lawsuit depends greatly on the extent and severity of your injuries. As with most personal injury claims, more severe injuries typically render higher settlements, resulting in greater medical expenses and other losses. However, a higher settlement value may also mean a longer court case.

Potential damages you could recover in a social media addiction lawsuit include economic and non-economic damages.

Economic Damages

Economic damages in a social media addiction lawsuit are actual losses you suffered due to mental illness caused by social media use. They may include:

• Current and future medical treatments
• Lost current and future income
• Current and future mental health therapy

Non-Economic Damages

You can also recover financial compensation for non-economic damages such as:

• Mental pain and suffering
• Emotional anguish
• Diminished quality of life

In the unfortunate event you lost someone you love to social media addiction, you could also seek to recover compensation for the financial losses associated with your loved one’s death. These may include funeral and burial expenses, lost income, and medical costs.

A Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Attorney Can Help You Seek a Higher Settlement

When filing a social media harm lawsuit against a major social media company, you benefit from having the support of a knowledgeable legal team. Choosing the right law firm can make the legal process less stressful and help you feel more confident about securing a fair settlement against even the most aggressive social media companies.

They Have the Knowledge and Experience to Support You

Social media addiction lawyers are well-versed in social media laws and regulations. They understand the process for filing a personal injury claim against the owner of a social media platform and can help you join an MDL if appropriate. During your case, a social media attorney will remain apprised of legal developments and new research that can affect the case.

They Will Handle All Communication and Legal Filings

Whether you file an individual lawsuit against the owner of a social media app or join an MDL, the legal process can be complicated. A law firm that handles social media addiction cases can gather evidence, communicate with the appropriate parties, and complete all necessary legal filings so you can focus on your well-being.

They Will Negotiate for a Fair Settlement on Your Behalf

Any social media addiction lawsuit aims to recover a fair settlement for your losses. You should not have to pay the price for corporate greed and irresponsibility. A dedicated personal injury lawyer who has previously handled cases involving social media platforms can fight for your rights against giant social media corporations.

They Will Represent You in the Courtroom

While most injury cases settle out of court, it is possible that your social media addiction claim will go before a judge or jury. An attorney familiar with these claims can guide you through the process and represent you in court. Our law firm partners can gather evidence to build a strong case and will be fearless in defending your interests at trial.

Understanding Social Media Addiction

Many people use social media apps to remain connected with their friends and family. Children, adolescents, and teenagers often use social media platforms to maintain interpersonal communication and engage socially with their peers.

Addictive behaviors can arise when users engage in social media compulsively in a way that negatively affects their interpersonal relationships, health, and work and study performance. According to researchers, social media addiction is similar to other compulsions, such as gambling addiction.

Victims of social media addiction may be able to sue for harmful effects they suffered due to mental health issues related to social media platform use. Speak with a social media addiction attorney to learn more.

Social Media Addiction Can Cause Serious Mental Health Issues

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Average Settlement and Time Frame for a Social Media Lawsuit

Nobody can predict the value or time frame for a social media addiction settlement in advance. The amount you can recover in a social media addiction lawsuit depends greatly on the extent and severity of your injuries. As with most personal injury claims, more severe injuries typically render higher settlements, resulting in greater medical expenses and other losses. However, a higher settlement value may also mean a longer court case.

Potential damages you could recover in a social media addiction lawsuit include economic and non-economic damages. 

Economic Damages

Economic damages in a social media addiction lawsuit are actual losses you suffered due to mental illness caused by social media use. They may include:

• Current and future medical treatments
• Lost current and future income
• Current and future mental health therapy

Non-Economic Damages

You can also recover financial compensation for non-economic damages such as: 

• Mental pain and suffering
• Emotional anguish
• Diminished quality of life

In the unfortunate event you lost someone you love to social media addiction, you could also seek to recover compensation for the financial losses associated with your loved one’s death. These may include funeral and burial expenses, lost income, and medical costs. 

A Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Attorney Can Help You Seek a Higher Settlement

When filing a social media harm lawsuit against a major social media company, you benefit from having the support of a knowledgeable legal team. Choosing the right law firm can make the legal process less stressful and help you feel more confident about securing a fair settlement against even the most aggressive social media companies. 

They Have the Knowledge and Experience to Support You

Social media addiction lawyers are well-versed in social media laws and regulations. They understand the process for filing a personal injury claim against the owner of a social media platform and can help you join an MDL if appropriate. During your case, a social media attorney will remain apprised of legal developments and new research that can affect the case.

They Will Handle All Communication and Legal Filings

Whether you file an individual lawsuit against the owner of a social media app or join an MDL, the legal process can be complicated. A law firm that handles social media addiction cases can gather evidence, communicate with the appropriate parties, and complete all necessary legal filings so you can focus on your well-being.  

They Will Negotiate for a Fair Settlement on Your Behalf

Any social media addiction lawsuit aims to recover a fair settlement for your losses. You should not have to pay the price for corporate greed and irresponsibility. A dedicated personal injury lawyer who has previously handled cases involving social media platforms can fight for your rights against giant social media corporations. 

They Will Represent You in the Courtroom

While most injury cases settle out of court, it is possible that your social media addiction claim will go before a judge or jury. An attorney familiar with these claims can guide you through the process and represent you in court. Our law firm partners can gather evidence to build a strong case and will be fearless in defending your interests at trial. 

Understanding Social Media Addiction

Many people use social media apps to remain connected with their friends and family. Children, adolescents, and teenagers often use social media platforms to maintain interpersonal communication and engage socially with their peers. 

Addictive behaviors can arise when users engage in social media compulsively in a way that negatively affects their interpersonal relationships, health, and work and study performance. According to researchers, social media addiction is similar to other compulsions, such as gambling addiction. 

Victims of social media addiction may be able to sue for harmful effects they suffered due to mental health issues related to social media platform use. Speak with a social media addiction attorney to learn more. 

Social Media Addiction Can Cause Serious Mental Health Issues

A JAMA Psychiatry study indicates that children and adolescents who spend over 3 hours on social media every day have a higher likelihood of suffering mental health issues. In a concerning correlation, a University of Michigan study showed that teenagers are on social media for an average of 3.5 hours per day. 

A Pew Research Center survey found that over 90% of teenagers aged 13-17 use some form of social media, and most use it daily.

In response to these studies, the U.S. Surgeon General has published an Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health detailing the health risks of social media and recommending action to mitigate these risks.

An increasing number of studies show that teenagers who use social media suffer higher rates of mental health issues and adverse effects related to self-worth and self-image, including:

Self-Harm

The American Psychological Association defines self-harm as non-suicidal self-injury. Victims of self-harm may cut, hit, burn, or otherwise inflict physical harm on themselves. Psychologists have strongly linked self-harm to low self-worth and body objectification, which can be perpetuated by visual social media. 

Suicidal Ideation 

Young social media users with low self-worth or depression may engage in suicidal ideation, attempt to commit suicide, or successfully commit suicide. Cyberbullying, online challenges, and social comparisons common with social media use can create situations that can lead to low self-worth and depression.

Body Dysmorphia

A Digital Wellness Lab survey of adolescents between 13-17 indicated that 46% had a worse relationship with their body image because of social media. This poor self-image can manifest in body dysmorphia or body dysmorphic disorder, a condition in which the victim has a negative body image. This may manifest as perfectionism, eating disorders, depression, feelings of anxiety about appearance, and other body image issues. 

Eating Disorders

Recent studies show a connection between disordered eating and greater social media presence. Youths exposed to photo editing, peer pressure, unrealistic beauty standards, and body expectations can contract eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. If left untreated, these disorders can result in severe illness and even death. 

If you experienced mental health issues because of exposure to social media, you may have grounds to seek a damage settlement from the liable social media company through a lawsuit. 

Ongoing Social Media Lawsuits 

You may have grounds to file a lawsuit of your own or join an existing mass tort claim against the social media company responsible for your mental health issues. Social media addiction claims are currently consolidated under MDL No. 3047 in Northern California’s district court. 

The lawsuits claim that social media companies (Meta Platforms, Inc., Snap Inc., and ByteDance) purposely targeted young people as a core market for their apps and designed those apps to cause social media addiction. When the companies became aware of how their apps risked youth mental health, they did not attempt to modify or warn of the dangers. 

Grounds for Filing a Social Media Harm Lawsuit

Since they did not attempt to protect vulnerable users from the addictive effects of social media and their related mental health issues, the owners of social media platforms could be liable for damages. 

You could pursue a settlement through a lawsuit if you meet the following requirements:

• If you used social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok) for several hours a day while you were a child, adolescent, or teenager, AND
• If you suffered from self-harm, suicidal ideation, body dysmorphia, an eating disorder, or another mental condition because of your social media use.

study indicates that children and adolescents who spend over 3 hours on social media every day have a higher likelihood of suffering mental health issues. In a concerning correlation, a University of Michigan study showed that teenagers are on social media for an average of 3.5 hours per day.

A Pew Research Center survey found that over 90% of teenagers aged 13-17 use some form of social media, and most use it daily.

In response to these studies, the U.S. Surgeon General has published an Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health detailing the health risks of social media and recommending action to mitigate these risks.

An increasing number of studies show that teenagers who use social media suffer higher rates of mental health issues and adverse effects related to self-worth and self-image, including:

Self-Harm

The American Psychological Association defines self-harm as non-suicidal self-injury. Victims of self-harm may cut, hit, burn, or otherwise inflict physical harm on themselves. Psychologists have strongly linked self-harm to low self-worth and body objectification, which can be perpetuated by visual social media.

Suicidal Ideation

Young social media users with low self-worth or depression may engage in suicidal ideation, attempt to commit suicide, or successfully commit suicide. Cyberbullying, online challenges, and social comparisons common with social media use can create situations that can lead to low self-worth and depression.

Body Dysmorphia

A Digital Wellness Lab survey of adolescents between 13-17 indicated that 46% had a worse relationship with their body image because of social media. This poor self-image can manifest in body dysmorphia or body dysmorphic disorder, a condition in which the victim has a negative body image. This may manifest as perfectionism, eating disorders, depression, feelings of anxiety about appearance, and other body image issues.

Eating Disorders

Recent studies show a connection between disordered eating and greater social media presence. Youths exposed to photo editing, peer pressure, unrealistic beauty standards, and body expectations can contract eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. If left untreated, these disorders can result in severe illness and even death.

If you experienced mental health issues because of exposure to social media, you may have grounds to seek a damage settlement from the liable social media company through a lawsuit.

Ongoing Social Media Lawsuits

You may have grounds to file a lawsuit of your own or join an existing mass tort claim against the social media company responsible for your mental health issues. Social media addiction claims are currently consolidated under MDL No. 3047 in Northern California’s district court.

The lawsuits claim that social media companies (Meta Platforms, Inc., Snap Inc., and ByteDance) purposely targeted young people as a core market for their apps and designed those apps to cause social media addiction. When the companies became aware of how their apps risked youth mental health, they did not attempt to modify or warn of the dangers.

Grounds for Filing a Social Media Harm Lawsuit

Since they did not attempt to protect vulnerable users from the addictive effects of social media and their related mental health issues, the owners of social media platforms could be liable for damages.

You could pursue a settlement through a lawsuit if you meet the following requirements:

• If you used social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok) for several hours a day while you were a child, adolescent, or teenager, AND
• If you suffered from self-harm, suicidal ideation, body dysmorphia, an eating disorder, or another mental condition because of your social media use.