New York City, along with its Department of Education and public hospital system, has filed a federal lawsuit against Meta, Alphabet, Snapchat, and TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance. The companies are accused of causing a “youth mental health crisis.”
The lawsuit claims that the algorithms used by these platforms deliberately exploit the psychology of young users to increase engagement and, in turn, boost advertising revenue. According to the city, this leads to sleep deprivation, chronic absenteeism, and risky behavior – all of which place a significant financial strain on schools and health services.
The complaint accuses several tech companies of deliberately designing their platforms to manipulate young users’ psychology, encouraging addictive behavior for profit. The complaint cites data showing that over 77% of New York City high school students, and more than 82% of girls, spend three or more hours a day on screens, leading to sleep loss and increased school absences.
In January 2024, the city’s health commissioner labeled social media a public health hazard, saying it has forced schools and local government to divert significant funds to address a growing youth mental health crisis. The city also links social media to the rise in dangerous “subway surfing,” which has caused at least 16 deaths since 2023, including two girls aged 12 and 13 this month. The lawsuit argues that tech companies must be held responsible, as the financial burden of managing the fallout currently falls on taxpayers.
New York is joining a wave of roughly 2,050 similar lawsuits filed by governments, school districts, and individuals across the U.S. – representing 8.48 million residents, including 1.8 million minors- the city is filing on behalf of its school and healthcare systems as well.
Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat have not commented on the case, while Google dismissed the allegations as a misunderstanding of how YouTube operates. The lawsuit adds to the growing pressure on social media platforms over their impact on young people’s well-being.
