New York City sues social media giants over youth mental health crisis

Lawsuit says algorithms keep kids hooked and anxious

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A hot potato: The ongoing debate over the impact that social media has on young people's health isn't abating. New York City has filed a lawsuit against the internet's biggest platforms, accusing them of creating a mental health crisis among children.

Filed in Manhattan federal court, the NYC lawsuit accuses Facebook and Instagram owner Meta, Google and YouTube parent Alphabet, Snapchat owner Snap, and TikTok's ByteDance of "gross negligence."

The complaint repeats many of the claims from previous lawsuits against these companies: that the platforms were designed to attract the maximum number of young users, exploiting "the psychology and neurophysiology of youth" to drive up profits.

The use of algorithms to allegedly keep younger users engaged and addicted to their devices is also highlighted in the complaint. It claims that the companies "know children and adolescents are in a developmental stage that leaves them particularly vulnerable to the addictive effects of these features."

The suit said that 77.3% of New York City high school students, and 82.1% of girls, admitted to spending three or more hours a day on screens, including TV, computers and smartphones, which has contributed to lost sleep and chronic school absences. The city's school districts provided data that showed 36.2% of all public-school students are considered chronically absent, missing at least 10% of the school year.

The complaint adds that nationwide, suicide rates for youth are up 57%. Emergency room visits for anxiety disorders are up 117%. In the decade leading up to 2020, there was a 40% increase in high school students reporting persistent sadness and hopelessness.

The lawsuit also blames social media for an increase in the "subway surfing" trend. New York Police Department data shows that 16 teens have died while engaging in the behavior, which involves riding on top or hanging from the sides of moving trains. Two girls aged 12 and 13 died earlier this month while subway surfing.

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Reuters notes that New York City has joined other governments, school districts, and individuals pursuing legal action against social media firms. There are around 2,050 similar lawsuits in nationwide litigation in the Oakland, California, federal court. NYC withdrew a previous lawsuit announced by Mayor Eric Adams in February 2024 to join this larger effort. With a population of 8.48 million, including about 1.8 million under 18, the city is among the largest plaintiffs.

New York City says its school system, health agencies, and social services have had to deal with the consequences of the social media companies' actions, and it aims to recover these public costs. The city is also asking for injunctive relief.

Responding to the suit, a Google spokesperson said that YouTube is a video-sharing platform and not a social media app "where people go to catch up with friends."