New York City has filed a lawsuit against major social media companies, accusing them of contributing to a youth mental health crisis through the design and operation of their platforms.
New York City has launched a lawsuit against tech giants Meta, Google, Snap, and TikTok, alleging that their social media platforms have played a key role in fueling a youth mental health crisis. The 327-page complaint, filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, accuses the companies of gross negligence in designing their platforms to maximize user engagement, particularly among children and adolescents, at the expense of their mental well-being.
The lawsuit, filed by the city along with its school districts and health department, alleges that the social media companies have built algorithms that exploit user data to drive addiction, despite knowing that children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to these tactics due to their developmental stage. The city argues that this pursuit of profit has created a public nuisance, placing a significant strain on the city’s resources.
To support its claims, the city cites data from the New York City Police Department, revealing that at least 16 teens have died while engaging in the dangerous trend of “subway surfing” — riding outside of a moving train — which the lawsuit alleges has been encouraged by social media. The recent deaths of two girls, ages 12 and 13, while subway surfing have further highlighted the gravity of the situation.
The lawsuit also presents survey data collected from New York high school students, which shows that 77.3 percent of the city’s teens spend three or more hours per day on screens. The city argues that this excessive screen time has contributed to sleep deprivation and, consequently, school absences. The city’s school districts have provided data showing that 36.2 percent of all public school students are considered chronically absent, missing at least 10 percent of the school year.
New York City’s legal action is part of a broader effort by governments to hold social media firms accountable for their alleged role in the youth mental health crisis. There are currently more than 2,050 similar lawsuits in litigation nationwide. By joining this wider effort in federal court, New York City has become one of the largest plaintiffs, with a population of 8.48 million and nearly two million residents under the age of 18.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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