This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If your child is in crisis, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline immediately. For legal guidance, consult with a qualified attorney.
The Short Answer
Yes, you may be able to sue social media companies if their platforms caused or worsened your child’s mental health problems. Over 2,000 lawsuits have been filed against Meta (Facebook/Instagram), TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, consolidated into a massive federal litigation. Courts have allowed many of these claims to proceed, and the first trials are approaching.
What the Lawsuits Allege
The social media mental health lawsuits make several key claims:
- Addictive by design: Platforms deliberately use psychological techniques—infinite scroll, variable rewards, push notifications—to maximize time on app, especially for young users
- Algorithm-driven harm: Recommendation algorithms actively push harmful content (pro-anorexia, self-harm, suicide) to vulnerable teens
- Knew but concealed: Internal research (like Facebook’s leaked studies) showed companies knew their platforms harmed teens but hid the evidence and continued harmful practices
- Inadequate age verification: Platforms allow children under 13 to create accounts and don’t meaningfully protect minors
- Defective product: The platforms themselves are unreasonably dangerous products when used by adolescents
The Massive Litigation Underway
The social media youth mental health litigation has grown into one of the largest mass torts in recent history:
- MDL 3047: Over 2,000 cases consolidated before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Northern California
- Defendants: Meta (Instagram, Facebook), ByteDance (TikTok), Snap Inc. (Snapchat), and Alphabet (YouTube)
- Plaintiffs: Individual families, school districts, and state attorneys general
- Status: Bellwether trials (test cases) are being selected, with trials expected to begin soon
In March 2025, the court issued a significant ruling allowing claims for wrongful death, negligence, and product liability to proceed—rejecting the companies’ attempts to dismiss the cases.
Types of Harm That May Support a Lawsuit
Families are bringing claims based on various mental health injuries linked to social media use:
- Depression and anxiety disorders: Diagnosed clinical conditions requiring treatment
- Eating disorders: Anorexia, bulimia, or body dysmorphia triggered or worsened by platform content
- Self-harm: Cutting, burning, or other self-injury behaviors
- Suicidal ideation or attempts: Thoughts of or attempts at suicide
- Suicide: Wrongful death claims by families who lost children
- Sleep disorders: Chronic insomnia or disrupted sleep affecting development
- Social media addiction: Compulsive use despite negative consequences
- Cyberbullying trauma: Harassment enabled by platform features
Evidence Supporting These Claims
The litigation has been bolstered by damaging internal evidence:
Internal Research
Leaked documents revealed that Meta’s own researchers found Instagram made body image issues worse for one in three teen girls and that the platform was linked to increased rates of anxiety and depression. Despite these findings, the company didn’t make meaningful changes.
Whistleblower Testimony
Former employees have testified about how engagement-maximizing algorithms were prioritized over user safety, and how content moderation for minors was inadequate.
Scientific Studies
Independent research has documented correlations between heavy social media use and teen mental health decline, particularly for adolescent girls. While correlation doesn’t prove causation, the pattern across multiple studies is compelling.
Legal Theories Being Used
Product Liability
Plaintiffs argue social media platforms are defectively designed products—unreasonably dangerous for minor users. This is similar to how courts have held tobacco companies and opioid manufacturers liable.
Negligence
Companies owed a duty of care to young users and breached it by designing addictive features, failing to moderate harmful content, and ignoring their own research about harms.
Failure to Warn
Despite knowing the risks, platforms didn’t adequately warn parents or users about the mental health dangers, particularly for adolescents.
Fraudulent Concealment
Companies actively hid internal research showing harm while publicly claiming their platforms were safe for teens.
The Section 230 Challenge
Social media companies have long claimed immunity under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects platforms from liability for user-generated content. However, courts in the current litigation have found that Section 230 doesn’t protect companies from claims about:
- Platform design: How the product itself is built (algorithms, features, notifications)
- Failure to warn: Not disclosing known risks
- Recommendations: Actively pushing harmful content via algorithms (as opposed to passively hosting it)
This distinction has allowed many claims to survive dismissal motions.
Do You Have a Case?
To pursue a social media mental health lawsuit, you generally need:
- A minor user: Your child used social media while under 18
- Diagnosed mental health condition: A clinical diagnosis from a healthcare provider (not just general moodiness)
- Documented treatment: Medical records showing therapy, hospitalization, medication, or other treatment
- Timeline connection: The mental health issues developed or worsened during active social media use
- Significant harm: Substantial impact on your child’s life, health, or functioning
Steps to Take
- Prioritize your child’s health: Get them appropriate mental health treatment first
- Document social media use: Preserve evidence of accounts, usage patterns, and content exposure if possible
- Gather medical records: Collect all documentation of diagnoses, treatment, and healthcare provider opinions
- Note the timeline: Document when social media use began, when symptoms appeared, and how they progressed
- Consult an attorney: Many firms handling these cases offer free consultations and work on contingency
What Compensation May Be Available
Depending on the severity of harm, families may seek:
- Medical expenses: Past and future treatment costs including therapy, hospitalization, and medication
- Pain and suffering: Compensation for emotional distress and diminished quality of life
- Lost earnings: If the condition affects the child’s future earning capacity
- Wrongful death damages: In cases where a child died by suicide
- Punitive damages: If the company’s conduct was particularly egregious
Settlement estimates vary widely based on injury severity. Cases involving hospitalization, suicide attempts, or death may result in substantial compensation if plaintiffs prevail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sue if my child is now an adult?
Yes, if the harm occurred while they were a minor. Statutes of limitations for minors often don’t begin running until they turn 18, and many states have extended deadlines for these specific claims.
Do I need to prove social media caused my child’s mental health issues?
You need to show it was a substantial contributing factor, not necessarily the only cause. Medical expert testimony can help establish this connection.
What if my child lied about their age to create an account?
This doesn’t necessarily bar a claim. Plaintiffs argue the platforms make age verification trivially easy to bypass and that companies know millions of underage users are on their platforms.
Can schools sue social media companies?
Yes. Many school districts are suing to recover costs of mental health services, counselors, and resources needed to address the youth mental health crisis they attribute to social media.
How long will these cases take?
Mass tort litigation typically takes years. Bellwether trials are being scheduled, and results from those cases will likely drive settlement negotiations. Some families may see resolution within 2-4 years, while others may take longer.
The Bottom Line
If your child has suffered serious mental health harm that you believe is connected to social media use, you may have legal options. The litigation against social media companies is still in relatively early stages, but courts have allowed major claims to proceed, and the evidence of company knowledge and concealment is substantial.
If your family has been affected, consult with an attorney experienced in social media litigation. Most offer free case evaluations and handle these cases on contingency, meaning you pay nothing upfront.
