It’s almost a truth universally acknowledged in today’s society that social media can have detrimental effects on mental health. Evidence supports connections to eating disorders, bullying, and depression. Parents, in their efforts to protect their children from these risks, often look for ways to limit the use of these platforms. Interestingly enough, some parents are no longer only focusing on app restriction tools or intensive supervision but are turning their attention to the legal system.
According to a recent report from Reuters, several U.S states have initiated a lawsuit against Meta Platforms, with one of its most popular entities, Instagram, coming under scrutiny. The accusation is that these platforms which are owned and operated by Meta have contributed to the escalating youth mental health crisis due their highly addictive nature. In a complaint lodged in a federal court in Oakland, California, states including California and Illinois stated that Meta Platforms, which additionally controls Facebook, has consistently misled the public on the severe dangers of its platforms. The said platforms were also accused of deliberately promoting excessive and compulsive use of social media amongst minors.
Nevertheless, as fascinating as this lawsuit is, it is unclear what law(s) Meta Platforms and its subsidiaries could have violated. Is causing depression in children a tortious act? Could not doing “enough” to curb online bullying be considered a breach of contract? Highlighted in the lawsuit is the accusation that Meta collected the data of children under the age of 13, but the rest of the complaints seem somewhat vague.
With the growing influence of social media giants like TikTok, which was reported by The New York Times to be encroaching on Google’s territory, it is only natural for parents to desire some control over their children’s exposure to potentially harmful content. Yet, it is debatable whether intervening in children’s social media use is best achieved through legal methods or through direct, open discussions within the household. Each approach carries its own potential effectiveness and limitations.