Dozens of US states are suing Meta Platforms and its Instagram unit. The states claim that these social media platforms harm young people’s mental health.
In a complaint filed last month, 33 states said Meta misled the public about how dangerous its platforms could be and encouraged children and teens to become addicted to social media.
“Research has shown that young people’s use of Meta’s social media platforms is associated with depression, anxiety, insomnia, interference with education and daily life, and many other negative outcomes,” the complaint said.
“Meta continued to ... design its platforms to manipulate dopamine responses in its young users to maximise time spent on its platforms.”
This is not the first legal action taken against social media companies because of how they affect young people. TikTok and YouTube have also faced lawsuits about the addictive nature of social media.
“Meta has been ... cultivating addiction to boost corporate profits,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
