Teen Social Media Addiction Lawsuit

Johnson//Becker is investigating claims for teens and young adults who have been harmed by the social media tech giants who have designed their platforms to encourage addictive behaviors in order to maximize screentime, putting profits over the safety of their most vulnerable users.

Claims for Teen Social Media Addiction are currently being accepted by the lawyers at Johnson//Becker.

Understanding Social Media and Teen Addiction

For more than two decades, we have watched technology grow and change. Use has skyrocketed, and with its ongoing development, we have witnessed the negative results impacting our young adults. It has morphed into a public health crisis, an epidemic, and is linked to serious mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and addiction.

  • The World Health Organization reported that the increase in pre-teen social media usage set the stage for consequences related to their development as well as long term health outcomes. More than 1 in 10 adolescents surveyed in the report showed signs of problematic social media behavior, struggled to control their social media use, and experienced negative consequences as a result.
  • A retrospective study published to the National Library of Medicine website explored the increase in psychological issues and internet/social media addiction for individuals during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, it was suggested that the brain of a young adult was more responsive than an adult brain when exposed to the stressful stimuli available through social, cultural, and media influences. Their increased vulnerability resulted in anxiety, mood, and other abuse disorders.
  • This same study found that approximately 11% of the surveyed individuals were found to be addicted to social media, which showed consistent similarities with multiple other studies. This percentage increased to 14% when considering subjects who spent an average of 6 to 8 hours on social media platforms daily.
  • Former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warned that social media was harmful to adolescents and called for policymakers and technology companies to take action to create adequate safeguards to protect them.
  • Last winter, six former US Surgeon Generals joined together to express concern for the declining mental health of young people at Dartmouth’s Global Mental Health Crisis Symposium, where discussion of social media in the digital age plays a major role in the issue. The article shared on Dartmouth Health noted that psychologists and psychiatrists say a large part of the problem is social media’s addictive nature. Social media may manage to be addictive in part because its algorithm rewards users with likes, comments, and shares. This, in turn, activates a dopamine rush in the brain of motivation and reward.
  • According to an article posted to Dartmouth Health, it stated that social media addiction is very real, as shared by Julie Balaban, MD, a Dartmouth Health Children’s child and adolescent psychiatrist at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. She shared that “Being addicted [to social media] means the inability to turn it off. Even when you’re not on social media, you’re still craving and worrying about it.” When not participating on the platforms, individuals suffering with social media addiction can feel mental and emotional withdrawal. Social media use may make teens feel excluded and may lead to the development of disordered eating or self-harming behaviors.

What is Social Media Addiction?

Social Media Addiction is more than problematic technology use and the amount of screentime. Social Media Addiction is a change in behavior, including physical, emotional, social, and functional changes. It can appear as:

  • A compulsive need to engage with social media platforms, and experiencing anxiety, irritability, restlessness, or “FOMO” when faced with an inability to do such.
  • Attempting to cut down on social media use without success.
  • An avoidance of in-person social connections and a preferrance to be online.
  • Experiencing a negative impact on an individual’s attention span, education, social life, mental health, or sleep patterns, due to overuse of technology.
  • Utilizing social media to forget or avoid personal struggles.
  • Becoming socially and emotionally withdrawn.
  • Engaging in self-harming behaviors after increasing use of social media platforms.

Social Media Harms We are Investigating

Social media has been found to contribute to the following harms in minors:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Eating Disorders
  • Body Dysmorphia
  • Hospitalization
  • Self-Harm
  • Suicide

What Social Media Platforms are We Investigating?

Johnson//Becker is investigating the social media harms associated with the use of these popular platforms:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • TikTok
  • Snapchat

Does My Child Qualify to Participate in a Social Media Harms Lawsuit?

We are investigating claims for adolescents, teens, young adults and their loved ones who were impacted by social media harms by suffering:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Eating Disorders
  • Body Dysmorphia
  • Hospitalization
  • Self-Harm
  • Suicide

If you believe you, or your child, may be in crisis, we recommend reaching out to the following hotlines:

If you are at risk to yourself or do not feel safe, please call 911.

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine: Call 800-950-6264 or text 62640

Youthline : Call 877-968-8491

National Eating Disorders Helpline: Call 800-931-2237

Why Choose Johnson//Becker for Your Social Media Lawsuit?

Johnson//Becker is dedicated to serving you or your family with care, compassion, and commitment. Our lawyers have significant legal qualifications and nearly three decades of experience to best represent your interests in matters of injury due to these companies putting profits over safety.

Learn More: Why Choose Us

Questions About a Social Media Harms Lawsuit? Contact a Johnson//Becker Lawyer for a Free Case Review.

If you or a loved one were injured or adversely affected by the harms associated with Social Media, you may want to speak with the lawyers at Johnson//Becker. We are currently accepting Social Media Harms lawsuits nationwide, and you may be entitled to financial compensation.

We offer a Free Case Evaluation. Please contact us using the form below or by calling us at (800) 279-6386.

We would be honored to speak with you and respond promptly to every inquiry we receive.

Free Case Evaluation

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