Numerous studies and medical research published over the past decade have shown that excessive use of social media platforms contributes to increased rates of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and suicidal thoughts among adolescents and teenagers. Studies presented by the American Psychological Association found that reducing social media usage by 50% led to significant improvements in body image among young adults.

Whistleblowers have further revealed that major technology and social media companies like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat have invested billions of dollars into deliberately designing their platforms to be addictive, particularly targeting young users. These companies prioritize profit maximization while being fully aware that excessive social media use, combined with the curated and unrealistic portrayals of life on these platforms, can have severe consequences on young people’s mental health.

The intentional addictive nature of these platforms has led children and young adults to develop serious mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia, low self-esteem, and eating disorders (e.g. bulimia and binge eating) —some cases even resulting in attempted or actual suicides. Additionally, the companies have been accused of creating an environment on their platforms ripe for sexual exploitation. The argument is that social media companies failed to implement adequate protections, allowing predators to target minors and cause irreparable harm.

Surgeon General’s Warning

June 2017 Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy called for warning labels to be added to social media platforms, citing research on the risk of more than three hours of social media per day being linked to twice the risk of mental health issues.

MDL

MDL #3047: Northern District of California, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers

Litigation Updates

May 2024 School districts in Michigan have filed suit in addition to the product liability litigation. An October 2024 CMO has postponed the first bellwether trial until early 2026, providing more time to complete fact discovery. Bellwether picks must now be identified by May 23, 2025. In November 2024, Judge Rogers denied the MTD filed by defendants seeking to dismiss claims brought by school districts.

Important Links

1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8001450/
2. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2023/02/social-media-body-image
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1471015323000223
4. https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/social-media-use-increases-depression-and-loneliness
5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032714000536?via%3Dihub
6. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/93667
7. https://childmind.org/article/is-social-media-use-causing-depression/
8. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4853817/
9. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/social-media-mental-health-anxiety-depression-teens-surgeon-general-rcna85575
10. https://news.cuanschutz.edu/news-stories/surgeon-generals-call-for-warning-labels-on-social-media-underscores-concerns-for-teen-mental-health#:~:text=Murthy’s%20warning%20cited%20research%20showing,media%20and%20youth%20mental%20health

MDL Link

1. https://cand.uscourts.gov/in-re-social-media-adolescent-addiction-personal-injury-products-liability-litigation-mdl-no-3047/

Case Management Orders