In this episode, we dive into the growing wave of lawsuits being filed against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat, Discord, Tik Tok by parents and guardians concerned about the mental and physical harm these platforms are causing younger users. Research indicates a troubling rise in social media addiction among teens, leading to severe mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, self-harm, eating disorders, and even suicide.

The issue gained significant attention when Frances Haugen, a former Facebook manager, leaked internal documents revealing Meta's knowledge of its platforms' harmful effects on users, especially teens. These documents exposed how Meta's algorithms are designed to maximize engagement at the expense of user well-being, often pushing content that promotes body image issues, risky behaviour, and mental health struggles.

We’ll explore the specific cases brought against Meta, such as the lawsuits filed by families who have lost loved ones to suicide or who are dealing with the repercussions of social media addiction. We'll also discuss the legal strategies being employed, including product liability and tort law, aimed at holding Meta accountable for prioritizing profits over safety.

Snapchat, owned by Snap Inc., is a preferred social media platform for 35% of teens, with over 85 million users in the U.S. as of 2020. Its popularity is driven by features that limit parental monitoring, encourage daily use, and allow users to share their location, raising significant safety concerns.

One notable case is Rodriguez v. Meta Platforms Inc. et al., where nine-year-old Selena Rodriguez became addicted to Snapchat and Instagram, leading to sleep deprivation, bullying, and severe mental health issues, culminating in her suicide at age 11.

In Doffing v. Meta Platforms Inc. and Snap Inc., Brittney Doffing is suing on behalf of her daughter M.K., who developed an addiction to Instagram and Snapchat at 14, resulting in sleep loss, body image issues, and psychiatric hospitalizations.

Other cases include Heffner vs. Meta and Snap Inc., where Ashleigh Heffner’s son Liam Birchfield became addicted to these platforms, leading to his suicide, and Dawley vs. Meta and Snap Inc., where CJ Dawley, a high-achieving student, fatally shot himself after becoming obsessed with social media.

Additionally, Snapchat is implicated in facilitating fentanyl poisonings, due to its features that allow users to erase communications easily. The FBI is investigating Snapchat’s role in the fentanyl poisoning deaths of teens, and lawsuits have been filed to represent these victims and their families.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-marquez-garrett-447a491b/
https://socialmediavictims.org/

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