Facebook Harm Lawsuit: Social Media’s Mental Health Effects

Our team of lawyers is investigating potential legal action against Facebook for putting teens and young adults at a greater risk for mental health impacts, or otherwise contributing to harmful mental health conditions.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mental health issues that may be linked to Facebook or Instagram use, contact us or use the chatbot on this page to see if you qualify for a claim.

Do I Qualify for a Lawsuit?

Those who have used Facebook or Instagram and subsequently sought mental health treatment may be eligible for a Facebook harm lawsuit.

Potential claimants may qualify if they have suffered from any of the following:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Eating Disorders
• Body Dysmorphia
• ADHD
• Self-harm or suicidal ideation
• Any other diagnosed mental illnesses

Potential Damages

Damages refer to any losses, economic or non-economic, incurred as a result of an incident.

The incident in this instance would be social media use contributing to mental health effects.

Damages in a case against Facebook/Meta/Instagram could include the following:

• Medical costs
• Therapy costs
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional damage

As we investigate further and gather clients, we may discover other potential damages able to be included in a claim.

Contact us if you are unsure whether or not you or your loved one qualifies for legal action.

Social media use is highest amongst teens and young adults, and with that has come increasing rates of mental health effects that can be potentially tied to certain platforms.

Internal documents and investigative reports have revealed that Facebook (Meta), which owns Instagram, is aware that their platforms can have harmful effects on teens and young adults.

Internal reports shed light on certain issues plaguing users, specifically female users of Instagram.

The reports point out “appearance-based social comparison” as a significant driver in the negative mental health impacts felt by teen users.

Negative social comparison manifests itself in saddening ways:

• 32% of teen girls said they felt bad about their body and Instagram made it worse.
• A survey of 50,590 people in 10 countries found that appearance-based social comparison on Instagram is reported by almost half of teen girls.
• Internal Facebook research saw that 66% of teen girl respondents reported negative appearance-based social comparison.

Wall Street Journal: The Facebook Files

The Wall Street Journal published “The Facebook Files” in the Fall of 2021, which featured leaked Facebook documents and presentations that analyze the platform’s influence on teen/young adult mental health.

Within this investigative series, the Wall Street Journal published leaked documents, conducted investigative work interviewing victims of mental health crises onset by social media use, and raised concerns with the ethical nature of Facebook’s conduct in regard to promoting features deemed harmful to teen’s mental health by their own researchers.

How Has Facebook Responded to Criticism?

Facebook has done everything in its power to nullify the allegations that its platforms are harmful to its teen users.

Facebook released multiple press releases on the subject, including September 2021’s What Our Research Really Says About Teen Well-Being and Instagram.

In this press release, Facebook says that its internal research does not say that its platforms cause mental health problems, but they in fact help teens feel better about themselves.

Furthermore, the company published two annotated slide decks, defending or correcting their own internal research on teen mental health.

The two slide decks are linked below:

• “Hard Life Moments – Mental Health Deep Dive”
• “Teen Mental Health Deep Dive”

These slide decks were released the night before the Senate Hearing over teen mental health, in which the Facebook representative Antigone Davis was “grilled” by Senate investigators.

This coincided with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen’s testimony that laid out the company’s tactics in creating products that put younger users’ mental health at risk.

Social media platforms have become a breeding ground for profiting from teen damage. With the rise of social media addiction and cyberbullying, these platforms have inadvertently created an environment where teenagers are vulnerable to harm. This harm can range from mental health issues to reputational damage. However, instead of actively working to prevent or mitigate these damages, social media platforms often profit from them.

One way social media platforms profit from teen damage is through advertising revenue. As teenagers spend more time on these platforms, they are exposed to targeted advertisements that are specifically designed to capture their attention and influence their purchasing decisions. This targeted advertising generates significant revenue for social media platforms, as companies are willing to pay a premium to reach this valuable demographic.

Another way social media platforms profit from teen damage is through the sale of user data. Every interaction a teenager has on these platforms, from likes and comments to personal messages, is collected and analyzed by the platform. This data is then sold to advertisers and marketers, who use it to further target and manipulate teenagers. By monetizing user data, social media platforms are essentially profiting from the vulnerabilities and insecurities of teenagers.

Furthermore, social media platforms often turn a blind eye to the harmful content and behavior that occurs on their platforms. Cyberbullying, body shaming, and other forms of online harassment are rampant, and yet, social media platforms do not take sufficient action to address these issues. Instead, they allow this harmful content to thrive, as it generates engagement and keeps teenagers hooked on their platforms. The more teenagers are exposed to damaging content, the more time they spend on social media, and the more profit social media platforms make.

Our lawyers in Trulaw are currently investigating the facts of the Facebook Mental Health Lawsuit and how to properly move forward with legal action.

If you or a loved one have suffered from mental health impacts potentially caused by social media usage, you may qualify for a claim.

Reach out to our attorneys today for a free consultation and use the chatbot on this page for a free, no-obligation case evaluation to see if you qualify for legal action instantly.