Filing a Lawsuit for Social Media Addiction in Children & Teens
With the majority of teens logging in daily, more families are connecting issues like depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and even self-harm to compulsive social media use. By filing a social media addiction lawsuit, parents may be able to hold these companies accountable.
Social media addiction lawsuits claim that companies like Meta (Instagram and Facebook), TikTok, and Snapchat intentionally designed their platforms to keep young people hooked.
Features like infinite scrolling, push notifications, and algorithm-driven feeds are built to maximize screen time, often at the expense of children’s mental health.
Find out more about social media lawsuits:
- Teens in the U.S. spend nearly 5 hours a day on social media, according to the American Psychological Association.
- Algorithms on apps like Instagram often promote harmful content such as extreme diet posts, unrealistic fitness standards, or self-harm materials.
- Platforms that emphasize physical appearance and lifestyle can fuel low self-esteem, body image issues, and unhealthy comparisons.
- The main health concerns linked to social media addiction include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts.
- Over 1,960 social media harm lawsuits have already been filed against Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube.
- Cases have been consolidated in a type of social media class action lawsuit known as multidistrict litigation (MDL) to streamline the legal process.
“Teens told us that they don’t like the amount of time they spend on the app, but feel like they have to be present….They often feel ‘addicted’ and know that what they’re seeing is bad for their mental health but feel unable to stop themselves.”
– Internal Research by Facebook & Instagram
Obtained from a Wall Street Journal Investigation
Many families are now seeking justice through social media addiction lawsuits for the physical, emotional, and psychological harm their children have suffered.
At Sokolove Law, we have more than 45 years of experience holding corporations accountable when profits are placed above public health — and we’re ready to help families fight back.
Our Team Is Here for You
Our social media addiction lawyers know how difficult what you’re going through is. We’re here to help you fight back and secure justice.
Why Is Social Media Harmful for Teens?
While not an official diagnosis, social media addiction is often considered a type of behavioral addiction, which means it can negatively influence some users’ behavior, brain, and mental health.
Children and adolescents are at particular risk of social media addiction because they’re still establishing their own sense of identity, leaving them highly open to the influence of the algorithm.
Several features of social media may increase the risk of mental health issues in adolescents:
- Cyberbullying: Teens can be impulsive with what they share and potentially open themselves up to being bullied, harassed, or blackmailed, which can lead to anxiety, low self-esteem, self-harm, and more.
- Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): FOMO can often lead children and teens to check their phones and scroll through their feeds compulsively, which can affect focus, cause anxiety, and more.
- Need for Approval: Many teens tie their self-worth to likes, comments, or follower counts, making them more vulnerable to rejection and criticism online. Because of the need for approval many teens feel, they may be more likely to struggle with social media addiction created by the pressure to fit in.
- Social Comparisons: When social media users compare themselves to others on the apps, some may define their own quality of life or self-worth based on how they measure up to what they see in their feeds, whether it’s realistic or not.
"When children are exposed to social media, they can overstimulate their reward center and increase their reward responsiveness....It's OK to use a little bit, but when it becomes too much, it creates problems."
– California State University Researchers
The harm of social media addiction goes beyond the desire for more likes. For instance, when Facebook hid the Like feature for young users, they found that the well-being of teens did not improve.
As more families begin to recognize the impact of social media addiction, many are now taking legal action to hold platforms accountable for the harm caused to their children.
Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Updates
Social media companies have faced a growing number of lawsuits across the U.S. for fueling addiction and harming young users.
Families, schools, and states claim companies designed their apps to be especially addictive to teens, while ignoring the serious health effects.
Find out about recent developments in social media addiction lawsuits:
- September 23, 2025: The Chickasaw Nation has joined other Native American tribes in filing lawsuits against social media companies, claiming apps like Facebook and TikTok are worsening mental health issues among Indigenous youth. The tribe's health and welfare programs have become increasingly strained due to this crisis, according to the lawsuit.
- September 9, 2025: A panel of 9th Circuit judges largely upheld California’s Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act, rejecting most of a challenge from tech lobbying group NetChoice. The law restricts addictive algorithmic feeds for minors and requires platforms to provide a private mode that limits strangers from interacting with children’s posts.
- September 2, 2025: At least 1,961 claims are pending in a multidistrict litigation (MDL), which is similar to a social media addiction class action lawsuit. The social media MDL is being overseen by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in the Northern District of California.
- August 2025: In California, Sonoma County joined San Mateo and San Diego counties in the sweeping federal lawsuit against social media companies, including Meta, TikTok, Google, Roblox, and Discord, alleging that more than 94,000 minors in the county alone have been “uniquely harmed.”
- June 2025: Bellwether cases have been selected in the MDL, which will go to trial first and help gauge how a jury might respond to arguments in the case. The chosen cases involve school districts in Maryland, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Arizona.
- April 2025: Corpus Christi Independent School District in Texas has joined nearly 800 school districts in a nationwide lawsuit against Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat, alleging the companies intentionally designed addictive platforms that harm students’ mental health and development.
- February 2025: Maryland enacted the nation’s first child online safety law, requiring tech platforms to limit harm to minors and banning the sale of children’s data. However, a group representing Meta and Google sued to block it, arguing it violates the First Amendment.
- January 2025: The White Mountain Apache Tribe sued TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube in federal court, alleging the platforms worsened a youth mental health crisis, citing suicide rates 3.5 to 4 times higher than the national average among Tribal youth.
- November 2024: Judge Gonzalez Rogers dismissed claims seeking to hold Mark Zuckerberg personally liable in dozens of lawsuits alleging that Facebook and Instagram made children addicted to social media, but ruled that ongoing cases against Meta could proceed.
- October 2024: The judge held that Meta must face social media lawsuits brought by more than 30 states accusing Facebook and Instagram of fueling teen mental health issues by making their platforms addictive.
- March 2023: Hundreds of lawsuits alleging that social media platforms like Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube caused addiction and mental health harms in young users have been consolidated in a multidistrict litigation.
These lawsuits highlight a growing effort to hold social media companies accountable for the toll their platforms have taken on young people’s mental health.
Our team is committed to staying up-to-date on this litigation and providing readers with the latest news on the social media addiction lawsuit.
Who Can File a Social Media Harm Lawsuit?
Children, teenagers, and adolescents may be more vulnerable to the addictive designs of social media platforms because their brains are still developing, particularly in areas tied to impulse control, decision-making, and emotional regulation.
Social media platforms may take advantage of this through features that reward constant engagement. Studies and lawsuits highlight the heightened risks these age groups face, like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and even self-harm.
You may be able to file a social media addiction lawsuit if you or your child:
- May be addicted to social media, like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok
- Suffered physical or psychological harm as a result of the addiction
- Was under the age of 18 when the addiction started
There's only a limited amount of time to take legal action due to the statute of limitations on social media claims, which vary by state. Acting quickly is the best way to protect your rights and make sure you don’t miss your chance to seek justice.
Call (800) 995-1212 now to see if you may be able to file a social media harm lawsuit. It costs nothing to speak with us.
Social Media Lawsuit Settlements & Verdicts
Lawsuits allow families to pursue social media compensation from the companies responsible for harming their children. Because litigation is still in the early stages, there haven't been any public social media addiction lawsuit payouts yet.
Social media addiction lawsuits may result in compensation from:
- Social media settlements: Your legal team and the defendants may be able to agree on an amount of money to resolve your case without going to trial, which is known as a social media settlement.
- Trial verdicts: If a social media settlement isn’t reached, your case may continue to a trial in court, where a judge or jury can determine the financial outcome in the form of a verdict.
Compensation from a social media lawsuit can provide families with the resources they need to aid in their child's recovery while working toward long-term stability and a brighter future.
How Much Are Social Media Lawsuit Payouts Per Person?
Potential social media lawsuit payouts per person could range anywhere from tens of thousands of dollars to several million in more severe cases, depending on the degree of harm, extent of the addiction, and more.
Social media lawsuit payouts can help cover:
- Doctor visits, medications, and hospital care
- Educational support or tutoring if school performance was affected
- Inpatient or outpatient addiction treatment
- Long-term care needs for severe cases
- Lost wages or reduced earning potential for older teens and young adults
- Pain and suffering, including emotional distress
- Therapy and counseling sessions
At Sokolove Law, our social media addiction lawyers can listen to your story, explain your legal options, and fight to secure the compensation your family deserves.
Billions Recovered Nationwide
At Sokolove Law, we’ve recovered over $10 Billion total for thousands of injured clients nationwide. Let us get you the results you deserve.
What Influences Social Media Lawsuit Payout Amounts?
Every family’s experience with social media addiction is different, and any compensation awarded will reflect the specific ways the addiction has affected the victim and their loved ones.
Factors that may affect social media lawsuit payouts include:
- Age when harm occurred: Younger plaintiffs may have longer-lasting damages, which may result in higher payouts.
- Legal venue: Outcomes can differ depending on the state or court the case is filed in.
- Severity of the impact: Compensation may be influenced by how significantly the addiction affected daily life, education, or long-term well-being.
- Strength of the evidence: Medical records, expert testimony, and proof of social media use patterns can all impact case values.
- Type of harm suffered: Cases involving mental health struggles, physical self-harm, and wrongful deaths may all warrant different amounts of compensation.
“Social media addiction can be devastating. We’ve seen clients who have struggled with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and self-harm as a result of social media addiction. Tragically, there have also been families who lost their child to suicide.”
– Ellyn Hurd, Social Media Addiction Lawyer
For over 45 years, Sokolove Law has helped thousands of families take a stand against the companies that have wronged them, securing more than $10 Billion total on their behalf. We’ll work hard to get you everything you’re entitled to.
Social Media Lawsuit Cases
As of September 2025, over 1,960 social media addiction claims are pending in a multidistrict litigation (MDL), which is similar to a social media harm class action lawsuit, involving victims across the country.
About the social media addiction class action MDL:
- Case name: In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation (MDL-3047)
- Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- Judge: Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers
- Defendants: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and more
- Injuries: Mental health harm, like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self-harm, and suicide
Learn more about how the social media harm class action MDL took shape and about other lawsuits that have been filed against some of the world's most popular social media apps.
Facebook and Instagram Addiction Lawsuits
In 2022, the very first wave of social media lawsuits was filed primarily against Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram. These lawsuits claimed that the platforms were intentionally designed to be addictive and harmful to teens.
Find out about social media lawsuits against Facebook and Instagram:
- More than 40 states filed lawsuits accusing Meta of fueling the youth mental health crisis. The lawsuits claim Facebook and Instagram were deliberately designed with addictive features that target children and teens.
- In October 2024, a judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit by Massachusetts alleging that Meta used Instagram features to addict teens and misled the public about mental health risks.
- One plaintiff alleges that Instagram provided them with a constant stream of self-harm content that changed their brain, resulting in constant thoughts of death and leading to multiple suicide attempts starting when they were 13.
In 2016, Meta ordered employees to capture more teenage users on their platforms and engineer features to keep them hooked. The goal was to maximize “total teen time spent” on Instagram and Facebook, according to internal company emails.
“The fact that I was obsessively suicidal at the age I was, that was not just my brain chemistry. That was my brain chemistry being altered by the platform I was on. Social media shaped my brain.”
– Taylor Little, Social Media Addiction Victim
Snapchat Addiction Lawsuits
As the litigation against Meta gained traction, other defendants were added, including Snapchat's parent company Snap, which is accused of failing to protect young users from harm.
Social media lawsuit lawyers allege Snapchat employed similar addictive design features like streaks, which pressure users to maintain daily contact with others.
Learn about the social media lawsuit cases against Snapchat:
- In June 2025, Utah filed their fourth social media lawsuit, accusing Snapchat of designing addictive features that endanger youth by exposing them to predators, drugs, and extortion.
- In April 2025, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sued Snap, alleging the company violated the state’s new social media law, which bars children under 16 from creating accounts without parental consent and prohibits accounts for those under 14.
- More than 60 families have filed wrongful death lawsuits in Los Angeles County, alleging Snapchat facilitated drug sales to teens and contributed to fatal overdoses.
- In October 2024, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed a complaint revealing internal Snap messages that allegedly show the company ignored sextortion reports, failed to verify users’ ages, and knowingly kept addictive features that expose minors to abuse and unsafe adult contact.
Because Snapchat messages disappear after being sent, it may be harder for parents to detect signs of cyberbullying and inappropriate behavior. This design feature can also make it more difficult to intervene when harm occurs.
“This filing is further confirmation that Snapchat’s harmful design features create an environment that fosters sextortion, sexual abuse and unwanted contact from adults to minors. It is disheartening to see that Snap employees have raised many red flags that have continued to be ignored by executives."
– Alex Torrez, New Mexico Attorney General
TikTok Addiction Lawsuits
TikTok and their parent company ByteDance have faced a flood of lawsuits accusing the platform of using manipulative design features to keep young users hooked, while also exposing them to harmful content and putting their mental health at risk.
Multiple social media lawsuit cases have been filed against TikTok:
- In October 2024, California, New York, and more than a dozen other states filed lawsuits accusing TikTok of misleading the public about the app’s safety and deliberately designing their platform to hook young users.
- In July 2025, a judge rejected TikTok’s bid to dismiss a New Hampshire lawsuit, which claims the app is intentionally designed to addict children and teens through manipulative features that extend screen time and push purchases through TikTok Shop.
- The U.S. Justice Department sued TikTok and their parent company ByteDance, alleging they illegally collected data from children under 13 without parental consent and violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
Approximately 60% of teens use TikTok daily, with 16% of users saying they’re on the app almost constantly, according to the Pew Research Center.
Lawsuits for social media addiction reflect a nationwide push to hold companies accountable for harming children and young adults. With cases moving forward in federal and state courts, more families are coming forward to pursue justice and hold these companies accountable.
How to File a Social Media Harm Lawsuit
At Sokolove Law, we strive to make filing a social media harm lawsuit as easy and stress-free as possible. Our firm has the resources and experience necessary to take on powerful companies on your behalf.
Our social media addiction lawyers can:
- See if you qualify for a lawsuit during a free case review
- Collect evidence like medical records and social media usage data to support your claim
- File your social media addiction lawsuit within any legal deadlines
- Negotiate social media settlements with the defendant(s)
- Pursue compensation from a verdict during a trial in court if needed
When you work with our social media addiction lawyers, we can handle every step of the legal process on your behalf, so you can focus on what matters most: your family’s health and well-being.
Social Media Addiction Statistics
Social media is nearly unavoidable for today's teens, with apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat playing a major role in daily life.
Research shows that the majority of teens use these apps, and many spend hours on them each day — sometimes even reporting that they’re online “almost constantly.”
Social Media Addiction Statistics
- About 35% of children aged 13 to 17 use Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, or YouTube at least once a day, according to Mayo Clinic.
- 95% of U.S. teens aged 13 to 17 use YouTube, 67% use TikTok, 61% use Instagram, 55% use Snapchat, and 32% use Facebook, as noted by the Pew Research Center.
- Around 50% of teens indicate that they go on Instagram or Snapchat every day, according to the center.
- Teenage girls are more likely than boys to say they use TikTok almost constantly at a rate of 19% to 13%.
- About 28% of Hispanic teens and 25% of Black teens report visiting TikTok almost constantly, compared to about 8% of those who are white.
- Older teens between 15 and 17 are more likely than younger ones to use social media platforms.
- Children in lower-income households are more likely to report using TikTok, at a rate of 73% to 59%.
- Using social media for more than 3 hours a day was associated with an increased risk of anxiety and depression, even after factoring in existing mental-health issues, as per JAMA Psychiatry.
- Researchers found that 38% of teens who used social media for more than 5 hours per day showed signs of clinical depression.
- Kids who are more addicted to social media are 2-3 times more likely to engage in suicidal behavior, as noted by Weill Cornell Medical College in Manhattan.
- 34% of adolescents play digital games every day, with 12% at risk of video game addiction, according to the World Health Organization.
These statistics show how deeply social media influences teens’ routines and mental health. The intensity of use helps explain why parents, schools, and lawmakers are concerned about addiction risks and why lawsuits have been filed against companies that put profits over children’s well-being.
"Most teens use social media and have a smartphone, and nearly half say they’re online almost constantly."
– Pew Research Center
Social Media Addiction Effects
Spending too much time on social media can take a toll on young people’s mental, emotional, and even physical health. Children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to addictive app designs, which can lead to issues like anxiety, depression, and poor sleep.
Social media harmful effects on children and teens may include:
- Anxiety
- Body dysmorphia (a body image disorder that leads to compulsive concerns about self-perceived physical flaws or shortcomings)
- Depression
- Difficulty focusing
- Eating disorders
- Injuries or death from TikTok challenges
- Insomnia or difficulty sleeping
- Low self-esteem
- Self-harm
- Sexual exploitation
- Suicidal thoughts and suicide
What makes these side effects particularly troubling is how some of these conditions feed into one another, putting teens at risk of developing several potentially serious issues.
Through cyberbullying or social comparisons, a teen can easily feel bad about themselves and suffer from anxiety, depression, and lowered self-esteem that, in turn, can worsen into something like an eating disorder and self-harm or suicide.
“For some people, it might be tempting to dismiss this as teen girls being sad. [However], we’re looking at clinical-level depression that requires treatment. We’re talking about self-harm that lands people in the ER.”
– Dr. Jean Twenge, Academic Researcher & Professor of Psychology
In 2024, the U.S. surgeon general called on social media platforms to add warning labels about the dangers of excessive use in an effort to combat the adolescent mental health crisis.
10 Signs of Social Media Addiction
For health issues without clear diagnostic tests, like addiction, it can be difficult to know exactly who is affected. When you consider that billions of people globally use social media, it becomes especially challenging to recognize when a hobby becomes potentially dangerous.
The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale is a tool that measures whether someone may be addicted to social media. It identifies common warning signs, like constant preoccupation with social media, difficulty cutting back on use, and adverse effects on school or family life.
You may be struggling with social media addiction if you:
- Spend a lot of time thinking about social media or planning how to use it
- Have the urge to use social media more and more
- Use social media as a distraction or a way to forget about personal issues
- Have unsuccessfully tried to cut down on your use of social media
- Become anxious, restless, or upset if you’re unable to use social media
- Use social media so much that it has negatively impacted your studies or life
- Post on social media and then constantly check for "likes"
- Start and end your day by using a social media platform
- Measure the events in your life by whether they're worthy of posting on an app
- Haven't been spending as much time with family and friends as you used to
Teenagers struggling with social media addiction may also have difficulties making new friends in person or maintaining the real-life relationships they do have.
It’s important to recognize the signs of social media addiction and get help as early as possible — before it leads to more serious mental health concerns.
Get the Help You Deserve
Our social media addiction lawyers may be able to file a lawsuit and fight for compensation on your behalf. See if you qualify now.
What to Look for in Social Media Attorneys
Social media companies have billions of dollars in profit and employ powerful lawyers to defend their corporate interests. This makes it particularly important to find an experienced legal team of your own who can make sure your voice is heard.
Our team of social media attorneys is prepared to level the playing field between you and companies like these, while fighting for the compensation you deserve.
Why work with Sokolove Law for your social media addiction claim?
- Over 45 Years of Experience: Since 1979, Sokolove Law has helped thousands of clients hold the people or companies responsible for their injuries accountable.
- $10 Billion+ in Results: We’ve recovered billions of dollars in total settlements and verdicts on behalf of our clients.
- Attorneys & Offices Nationwide: As a national law firm, Sokolove Law can handle cases in all 50 states, helping clients wherever they may be in the U.S.
- No Financial Risk: Our social media attorneys don’t charge any upfront costs or hourly fees. We only get paid if we recover compensation in your case.
With the right legal team on your side, you don’t have to take on powerful corporations alone. We’re committed to standing up for families harmed by social media addiction and helping them pursue justice, accountability, and financial support to move forward.
I’m a voice for families who have been hurt by these platforms. I’m committed to ensuring that these companies understand it’s unacceptable to prioritize profits over the well-being of our children and communities."
– Ellyn Hurd, Social Media Addiction Lawyer
Find a Social Media Addiction Attorney Near You
Companies shouldn’t be allowed to target vulnerable populations like children and teenagers with products that may not be safe — and this should also apply to social media platforms.
As a national personal injury law firm, Sokolove Law is proud to take a stand and fight back against companies like this on behalf of our clients. Our social media attorneys can help victims in all 50 states seek justice for harm caused by social media addiction.
If you or your child has been affected, you may be able to:
- Hold social media companies accountable for their unfair practices
- Potentially prevent other adolescents from becoming addicted to social media
- Pursue compensation that can help cover the costs of treatment
- Seek justice for your family over these predatory practices
See if you have a case for free: Call (800) 995-1212 right now or fill out our contact form to get started.
Social Media Mental Health Lawsuit FAQs
Who can sue for social media addiction?
Generally, you may be eligible to sue social media companies if you or your child experienced physical, emotional, or psychological harm linked to compulsive or addictive use of these platforms. This can include conditions like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self-harm, or even suicide.
Get a free case review now to learn more about your options.
Is the social media harm lawsuit legit?
Yes. Over $10 Billion families, school districts, and states across the United States have filed social media harm lawsuits, alleging that social media companies intentionally designed their apps to be addictive.
These lawsuits seek to hold these companies accountable and secure compensation for victims who have suffered emotional, mental, or physical harm due to social media addiction.
Which social media companies have lawsuits for addiction?
Several major platforms are facing lawsuits over claims that they intentionally designed addictive features that harm young users.
Defendants in the social media lawsuit for addiction include:
- ByteDance (TikTok)
- Discord Inc.
- Google/Alphabet Inc. (YouTube)
- Meta (Facebook and Instagram)
- OpenAI
- Roblox Corp.
- Snap Inc. (Snapchat)
- xAI
Companies that have created AI chatbots are also under scrutiny by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for their potential negative impact on children and teens.
Social media harm lawsuits allege these companies put profits ahead of children’s mental health, fueling issues like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and more.
How much will social media addiction lawsuit payouts per person be?
Social media addiction lawsuit payouts will vary based on factors like the age of the victim, the type of harm suffered, and the long-term impact on daily life.
Payout amounts could potentially range from tens of thousands to millions of dollars, providing families with financial support to help with medical expenses, therapy, pain and suffering, and more.
Call (800) 995-1212 right now to see if you may be eligible for a social media addiction payout.
What determines social media settlement amounts?
Social media settlement amounts will vary for each individual case, depending on the specific harms suffered and the circumstances involved.
Factors that may affect social media settlements include:
- Age of the user at the time of the addiction
- Costs of medical or therapeutic treatment related to social media use
- Impacts on education or academic performance
- Strength of evidence showing the addition was caused by platform features
- Severity of the resulting mental health impacts
At Sokolove Law, our social media addiction lawyers are committed to helping families secure the compensation they deserve.
Is there a social media class action lawsuit in 2025?
As of September 2025, at least 1,960 social media addiction cases against TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and other social media giants have been grouped together into a multidistrict litigation (MDL).
There’s still time for you to get involved in the social media MDL if you or a loved one has been negatively affected by addiction. Get started now with a free case review.
How can social media be harmful?
Social media platforms may be intentionally designed to be addictive, using features like endless scrolling, constant notifications, and algorithms that keep users engaged for as long as possible.
While these tactics boost profits, they can be especially harmful to young people, as their developing brains are more vulnerable to compulsive use. For children and teens, this can contribute to problems like anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, and poor self-esteem.
Does social media do more harm than good?
Social media can offer some benefits, like staying connected with friends, finding support communities, and accessing information. However, for many young people, the harms may outweigh the positives.
Platforms are often engineered to be addictive, keeping kids online longer and exposing them to mental health risks like cyberbullying, poor sleep, and body image issues. Because children and teens are still developing emotionally and neurologically, they are especially vulnerable to these negative effects.
How do you know if you’re addicted to social media?
Oftentimes, people suffering from social media addiction may have a feeling that their app use may not be healthy, but it can be difficult to know for sure, leading many to seek some kind of confirmation.
The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) was designed to help social media users understand when they may be struggling with symptoms of addiction.
The BSMAS presents the following six statements and asks the user to rate how often they experience it on a scale of 1-5 (with 1 being very rarely and 5 being very often):
- You spend a lot of time thinking about social media or planning how to use it
- You feel an urge to use social media more and more
- You use social media in order to forget about personal problems
- You have tried to cut down on the use of social media without success
- You become restless or troubled if you are prohibited from using social media
- You use social media so much that it has had a negative impact on your job/studies
Providing a score of 4 or 5 on at least four questions could indicate social media addiction.
Is social media making self-harm worse for teens?
In some instances, yes. When using social media, children and teens are constantly presented with a feed of everyone’s best moments and their most attractive pictures, which can lead to social comparisons.
Adolescents may compare themselves to what they see and find their lives to be lacking in some way, potentially leading some to place blame on themselves for not looking a certain way or being as successful as others they see in their feeds.
This feeling of not being enough or as good as their friends and family members or the stars they see in their feeds can cause many to feel anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Over time, this can lead to self-harm in teens, suicidal ideation, and suicide.
Does social media addiction contribute to teenage suicide or suicidal thoughts?
Social media use is linked with increased depression and suicide, especially in teens. In fact, 6% of teenage girls in the U.S. could trace their suicidal thoughts back to using Instagram specifically, according to leaked internal Facebook documents.
My teenager is addicted to social media — what should I do?
If your teenager is struggling with social media addiction, the first priority is supporting their well-being and finding ways to reduce the harmful impact.
You could potentially try:
- Setting boundaries around when or how they use social media
- Monitoring your teen’s accounts and keeping an eye on what they post
- Encouraging in-person social interactions as well
- Scheduling some time for them to talk to a therapist or counselor
If your teenager has suffered physical or psychological harm from social media addiction, Sokolove Law may also be able to help.
We are working with families across the country to file social media addiction lawsuits and hold companies like Facebook and Instagram accountable for targeting teenagers.
See if you have a case now for free. It costs nothing to speak with our team, and we’re ready to help 24/7.
How much do social media addiction attorneys charge?
At Sokolove Law, our social media addiction attorneys don’t charge any upfront costs or hourly fees. We only get paid if we recover compensation on your behalf.
This way, there aren’t any financial risks or barriers to taking legal action. When you work with Sokolove Law, you only stand to potentially profit from filing a social media lawsuit.
