Social Media Addiction Lawsuits for Child and Teen Harm (2024)
Trailblazing the fight to hold social media companies accountable for the harm they cause.
Representing 170+ young adults and families whose children grappling with the effects of social media addiction.
Talk to an award-winning lawyer today.
Talk to a Social Media Addiction Lawyer
Talk to a Social Media Addiction Lawyer
If you or your child developed mental health issues like depression, anxiety, or body dysmorphia due to excessive social media use, you may have a legal claim. We have a team of trauma-informed social media addiction lawyers who can guide you through the legal process. We also understand the concerns of parents and are committed to helping you protect your children while helping navigate the legal process.
Learn More about Our Investigations into Social Media Addiction
What are the social media addiction lawsuits about?
Social media use is nearly universal among young people. While social media can have positive impacts, a growing body of evidence highlights its damaging effects on the mental health and well-being of children and young people.
Gibbs Law Group is filing lawsuits against social media companies for allegedly creating addictive and harmful features in their apps and concealing the known mental health risks to youth
Contact us today to schedule a free and confidential consultation and take the first step toward seeking justice for you or your child.
Contact Us Today
Effects of Social Media on Mental Health: Increased Anxiety, Depression, and Body Image Issues
Research establishes a clear connection between social media use and increased anxiety, depression, and eating disorders in youth.
Almost all youth ages 13–17 report using social media, with more than a third saying they use social media “almost constantly.”
Why is Social Media Addictive?
Social media platforms are designed to keep users hooked and maximize engagement. They want to keep users on the platform for as long as possible to increase their own profits.
US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has issued a public advisory asking individuals and tech companies to take immediate action to address this urgent health crisis. He explained that these companies “seek to manipulate their developing brains into excessive use,” and that when it comes to pitting children’s willpower against social media’s addictive algorithms and “some of the best designers and product developers in the world,” it’s “just not a fair fight.”
Recently, he also called for social media platforms to be required to display warning labels, similar to cigarette packs, to warn parents and youth of the potential risks associated with using these platforms.
Holding Social Media Companies Accountable
Individuals, parents, school districts, and over 40 states are suing social media companies to hold them accountable for purposefully designing addictive algorithms and features that may cause child and teen depression, anxiety, self-harm, and eating disorders.
Social media companies are facing hundreds of lawsuits for allegedly prioritizing user engagement over the mental and physical well-being of their users. These lawsuits claim that:
- Social media companies designed their features to be addictive and exploit young users.
- These companies concealed known information about the potential health risks – particularly for youth – that are associated with excessive platform use.
- They also failed to take steps to prevent these harms or warn users.
Our Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Team
Gibbs Law Group is trailblazing the fight to hold social media companies accountable for the harm they cause. Our lawyers represent 170+ families whose children were harmed by social media companies, as well as young adults grappling with the effects of social media addiction.
Social media platforms claimed that they were immune from certain legal claims and argued that these lawsuits should be dismissed, but our law firm successfully argued that the lawsuits should be allowed to move forward. The federal and state court judges overseeing the case agreed, allowing the lawsuits to move forward. These legal victories were featured in BBC, Bloomberg Law, Reuters, The Verge, and more.
Our Team
Andre Mura
Andre represents plaintiffs in class actions and mass torts, including in the areas of consumer protection, privacy, and products liability.
View full profileSteve Lopez
Steve represents consumers, employees, and whistleblowers harmed by corporate misconduct in a variety of complex litigation cases.
View full profileAnna Katz
Anna represents plaintiffs in class action and complex litigation involving corporate wrongdoing and financial fraud.
View full profileAmelia Ravitz-Dworkin
Amelia plays a crucial role on case teams representing survivors of sexual assault and parents whose children have suffered from social media addiction.
View full profileBelize Combs
Belize assists the social media addiction lawsuit teams and supports investigations into potential improper overdraft bank fee practices.
View full profileDennis Higgs
Dennis works to help everyday people fight for their legal rights, in addition to helping oversee the day-to-day operations of the firm.
View full profileAlana Ervin
Alana assists with various cases addressing corporate harm, including data breach, financial fraud, and overdraft fees lawsuits.
View full profileJason Gibbs
Jason guides clients and potential clients through all stages of the litigation process, from intake to settlement.
View full profileWhat Experts Have to Say About Social Media Addiction
Recently, the US Surgeon General called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms, similar to those on cigarette packs, to alert parents and youth to the potential risks and dangers from these platforms.
“I think we need to look at social media like cigarettes, and just say it’s just a harmful product, it’s especially harmful for children, and we should make it much tougher for kids to access it.” – Max Fisher, investigative journalist and author of The Chaos Machine