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NYC SUES OWNERS OF TIKTOK, INSTAGRAM AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA SITES OVER YOUTH
MENTAL HEALTH



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By
Giulia Heyward

Published Feb 14, 2024 at 4:48 p.m. ET

3 comments

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Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images

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By
Giulia Heyward

Published Feb 14, 2024 at 4:48 p.m. ET

3 comments

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New York City is suing the companies that own TikTok, Instagram, Facebook,
Snapchat and YouTube, alleging that the social media platforms are driving a
spike in mental health issues among young people, Mayor Eric Adams said on
Wednesday.

The lawsuit was filed in California Superior Court and aims to force the
companies to change their practices as well as cover the costs of addressing
what city officials have deemed a public health threat. Adams’ office said the
city currently spends more than $100 million a year on youth mental health
programs, though the suit doesn’t specify how much the administration is seeking
in damages.

“Instead of learning confidence and resilience, they are being exposed to
content that often leads to insecurity and depression,” Adams said at a press
conference. “The features that keep young people clicking in these dark corners
of social media have fueled an alarming rise in online bullying, depression,
eating disorders and suicidal ideation.”

The percentage of New York City students who reported feeling sadness and
hopelessness or having thoughts of self-harm increased between 2011 and 2021,
with non-White, female and LGBTQ students more likely to be affected, according
to a report released by the city’s health department in November. Nearly 40% of
high school students reported feeling so sad or hopeless in the past year that
they stopped engaging in their usual activities, the report found.

The lawsuit links these figures and social media use, noting that over
three-quarters of the city’s high school students said in 2021 that they spent
at least three hours a day on average “in front of screens — not including
[time] spent on schoolwork.”

“Borrowing heavily from the behavioral and neurobiological techniques used in
slot machines and exploited by the cigarette industry, defendants deliberately
embedded in their platforms an array of design features aimed at maximizing
youth engagement to drive advertising revenue,” the complaint reads. “Instead of
feeding coins into slot machines, kids are feeding defendants’ platforms with an
endless supply of attention, time and data.”



Neither Google, which owns YouTube, nor Snap, which owns Snapchat, immediately
responded to requests for comment.

A spokesperson for TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, said in
a statement that the platform has safeguards to support teenagers’ well-being,
citing its age-restricted features and parental controls.

“We regularly partner with experts to understand emerging best practices, and
will continue to work to keep our community safe by tackling industry-wide
challenges,” he said.

A spokesperson for Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, said the company
offers multiple tools and features so that teens can have “safe, age-appropriate
experiences online.”

“We’ve spent a decade working on these issues and hiring people who have
dedicated their careers to keeping young people safe and supported online,” the
spokesperson said.

Adams also referenced last month's State of the City address on Wednesday, in
which he spoke about the city’s plans to create “the biggest student mental
health program in the country,” including telehealth care, community-based
counseling and daily breathing exercises for high schoolers. During that speech,
Adams announced the city health commissioner was designating social media as a
“public health crisis hazard” over its “addictive and dangerous features,” such
as algorithms and game-like designs meant to keep users on the platforms.



“We know these platforms are designed with addictive and dangerous features that
take advantage of a child’s natural interest in novelty and play,” the mayor
said at the time. “The social on these platforms — the likes, the trophies, the
streaks — are designed to manipulate a dopamine release in the brain.”

The New York City Department of Education is a plaintiff in the lawsuit and
joins hundreds of other school districts across the country that are also suing
social media platforms over children’s mental health challenges. Following the
mass litigation, TikTok changed its U.S. terms of service and now requires legal
complaints be filed in one of two California courts.

Last month, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also announced her intent to try to limit
harms from social media on children’s mental health. Her comments were part of a
larger push by state officials — including Attorney General Letitia James — to
regulate minors’ interactions with social media and tech companies’ data
collection practices.




Tagged

Politics
new york state
Health and Science
new york city
letitia james
social media
eric adams

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Giulia Heyward


Giulia Heyward is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers politics
and breaking news. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter,
and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has
also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email
gheyward@nypublicradio.org or Signal 917-715-1458.

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