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Every morning, the routine for many is the same. Wake up, eat breakfast, and scroll through social media. Some don’t give it much thought, but that small rectangular electronic box in their hand is a contributing factor to America’s mental health crisis.
Thankfully, there is recognition of this, and steps are being made to alleviate this problem.
Beasley Allen Law Firm recently filed eight lawsuits against social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram after there were several complaints accusing the company of exploiting young children for profit and contributing to the rampant mental health crisis in America.
“Social media use among young people should be viewed as a major contributor to the mental health crisis we face in the country,” Andy Birchfield, Beasley Allen attorney and mass torts section head, said. “These applications could have been designed to minimize any potential harm, but instead, a decision was made to aggressively addict adolescents in the name of corporate profits.”
These companies know it’s harmful to the younger generation and continue to do it.
“The defendants knew that their products and related services were dangerous to young and impressionable children and teens, yet they completely disregarded their own information,” Birchfield continued. “They implemented sophisticated algorithms designed to encourage frequent access to the platforms and prolonged exposure to harmful content.”
The lawsuits were filed in Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas and blamed Facebook and Instagram for specifically designing their products to be manipulative and addictive. The lawsuits also claim defective design, negligence, and failure to warn, among other things.
The actions taken to hold social media platforms accountable are long overdue.
Back in September 2021, the Wall Street Journal reported a study that said 32% of teenage girls “felt bad about their bodies” and that Instagram made it worse. The article also stated that 40% of Instagram’s users are 22 years old and younger.
For young teenagers, the average time spent in front of a screen is 9 hours. Due to this increase in screen time, there is a correlation to increased suicide and depression rates. Company executives still fail to recognize their contribution to the problem.
“We’re proud that our app can give voice to those who have been marginalized, that it can help friends and families stay connected,” Karina Newton, Instagram’s head of public policy, responded in a blog post. “But we also know it can be a place where people have negative experiences, as the Journal called out today … Social media isn’t inherently good or bad for people. Many find it helpful one day, and problematic the next. What seems to matter most is how people use social media, and their state of mind when they use it.”
It’s true. Social media is amoral, but it’s ignorant to think that the way people use it is the only issue. 13-year-olds should not have the same access that adults do. The content found across the internet is at the fingertips of young children, and these social media platforms encourage its usage; these companies have a responsibility to protect young users.
Esther Wickham is a summer 2022 Washington Examiner fellow.
