Instagram Addiction Lawsuit

Understanding Instagram Addiction Lawsuits

Instagram has become one of the most widely used social media platforms in the world, especially among teens and young adults. More than 62% of Instagram’s users are 24 years old or younger, and 50% of U.S. teens log in daily.

But behind the filters and hashtags, research shows that the app’s design may be causing mental health struggles. Families are now filing lawsuits against Instagram's parent company Meta for creating features that keep users scrolling at the expense of their well-being.

Instagram addiction lawsuits claim the app:

• Was intentionally designed to be addictive, fueling unhealthy use patterns and mental health issues
• Fails to provide adequate safeguards to protect minors from cyberbullying or unsafe content
• Has contributed to depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and even suicide and self-harm in children and adolescents
• Prioritizes profit over safety, choosing engagement and ad revenue over the mental health of its youngest users

Using social media like Instagram for more than 3 hours a day is linked to an increased risk of depression and anxiety, even after considering past mental health issues, according to a study published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Instagram addiction lawsuits allow families to seek compensation for medical care, therapy, and more while sending a powerful message about protecting children and teens online.

At Sokolove Law, we understand the toll that Instagram addiction can take on a family. With over $10 Billion total secured for clients nationwide, we’re prepared to help you seek justice and accountability.

Who Can File an Instagram Social Media Addiction Lawsuit?

Children and teens are especially vulnerable to the harms of social media. Their brains are still developing, which makes them more prone to addictive behaviors and less equipped to manage the constant stream of likes, comments, and notifications.

You may be able to file an Instagram addiction lawsuit if you or your child:

• May be addicted to using Instagram or other social media platforms
• Suffered physical or psychological harm as a result of the addiction
• Were under the age of 21 when the addiction began

Instagram’s algorithm-driven content can intensify feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, or anxiety, particularly in young users who are still building their identities and self-esteem.

There’s only a limited amount of time to file an Instagram social media addiction lawsuit due to laws called statutes of limitations, which vary by state. It’s important to contact a lawyer as soon as possible, so you don’t miss your chance to take action.

Instagram Addiction Symptoms

Like other forms of addiction, social media addiction can affect both mental and physical health. If your child spends excessive time on Instagram, watch for signs that use may be crossing into harmful territory.

Common Instagram addiction symptoms include:

• Compulsive use: Feeling unable to cut back on time spent scrolling, even when you try
• Declining grades or work performance: Difficulty focusing or staying productive due to Instagram use
• Low self-esteem: Comparing yourself to others online and feeling inadequate or unworthy
• Mood changes: Irritability, anxiety, or depression when not using Instagram
• Neglecting responsibilities: Skipping school, work, or social activities to spend more time on the app
• Sleep problems: Staying up late or waking frequently to check notifications
• Withdrawal from real life: Spending less time with friends or family in person

Recognizing these warning signs early is important. For young people, in particular, prolonged Instagram use can worsen mental health challenges and lead to long-term consequences like body image and eating disorders.

"If I had my phone taken away, it felt like having withdrawals. It was unbearable. Literally, when I say it was addictive, I don't mean it was habit-forming. I mean, my body and mind craved that."
– Taylor Little, Instagram Addiction Victim

Instagram Lawsuit Updates 2025

Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against Meta and other social media companies by victims who claim they became addicted to Instagram, Facebook, and other apps, causing them to suffer serious psychological or physical harm.

Many of these claims have now been consolidated in a type of Instagram addiction class action lawsuit known as multidistrict litigation (MDL). This streamlines the litigation, allows families to share legal resources, and may provide a more direct pathway to justice and compensation.

About the Instagram social media addiction lawsuit:

• Case name: In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation (MDL-3047)
• Number of claims: At least 1,961 as of September 2025
• Plaintiffs: Individual victims, their families, school districts, and states
• Defendants: Meta Platforms, Google, ByteDance, Snap Inc., and more
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
• Judge: Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers

Instagram lawsuits claim the defendants purposefully designed the app to be addictive, ignoring the serious mental health impact on millions of American teens and adolescents. Find out about the latest Instagram lawsuit updates and how they may affect your case.

California Appeals Court Upholds Law Regulating Addictive Instagram Feeds

In September 2025, a panel of 9th Circuit judges largely upheld California’s Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act, a law aimed at limiting minors’ access to addictive social media algorithms on Instagram and other apps.

California passed the law in 2024 to curb the harmful impact of algorithm-driven feeds on children and teens. While trade group NetChoice argued the law violated free speech rights, the court sided with the state, saying California has a strong interest in protecting kids from social media addiction.

New York Family Files an Instagram Social Media Addiction Lawsuit After Teen's Suicide

The parents of Gabby Cusato, a 15-year-old cross-country runner from New York, filed a lawsuit against Instagram’s parent company after Gabby died by suicide.

Gabby became addicted to Instagram after receiving her first phone in seventh grade, according to the complaint. She maintained multiple accounts, some hidden from her parents, where she was repeatedly exposed to harmful content about dieting and weight loss.

“Imagine being 15. You want to be fast, you want to be skinny. And if somebody’s saying to you, here’s how you can do it, here’s how you can lose more weight — it’s just a rabbit hole.”
– Karen Cusato, Mother of Instagram Addiction Victim Gabby

Despite undergoing outpatient treatment for anorexia, Gabby continued to engage with eating disorder-related content on Instagram, which her family says worsened her condition. In November 2019, after her phone was taken away during an argument, Gabby died by suicide in her bedroom closet.

New York Teen Files $5 Billion Instagram Class Action Lawsuit

In August 2024, a 13-year-old girl filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Meta in federal court in California, alleging the company intentionally designed Instagram to be addictive for teens while knowing it could harm their mental health.

The teen is seeking $5 Billion in damages to be shared among eligible Instagram users if the class action is certified. The lawsuit compares Instagram to addictive products like tobacco and alcohol and calls for stricter protections to stop Meta from manipulating young users.

Connecticut College Student Sues Instagram and TikTok Over Eating Disorder

Caroline Koziol, a former competitive swimmer from Connecticut, filed a lawsuit against Meta and TikTok, alleging their platforms led her to develop anorexia during high school.

Caroline began using Instagram and TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic to look up workouts and healthy recipes, according to the complaint. Within weeks, her feeds were flooded with extreme dieting and disordered eating content, which allegedly triggered and worsened her eating disorder.

“One innocent search turned into this avalanche. It just began to overtake every thought that I had.”
– Caroline Koziol, Instagram Addiction Victim

By senior year, Caroline had lost 30 pounds, struggled with blackouts, and had to step away from swimming. Now a college junior, she claims the companies’ algorithms were intentionally designed to maximize engagement, even when that meant amplifying harmful content to vulnerable teens.

Instagram Addiction Statistics

Research shows that Instagram use is widespread among teens, and for many, the impact is deeply concerning. Studies and internal reports show how often young people are on the platform as well as the kinds of harmful content they encounter.

Statistics on Instagram Addiction

• 61% of all U.S. children aged 13 to 17 report using Instagram, according to the Pew Research Center. That number increases to 72% for teens aged 15-17.
• Of those who report using Instagram, 12% say they use it daily, and 28% say they use it several times a day.
• Girls tend to use the platform more than boys by a rate of 66% to 56%.
• 75% of Black teens use Instagram, compared with 66% of Hispanic teens and 55% of white teens.
• 1 in 8 users under 16 reported unwanted sexual advances while using Instagram.
• 32% of teenage girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel even worse, according to internal company files released by a Facebook whistleblower.
• About 8.4% of users between ages 13-15 reported seeing self-harm content on the platform in the past 7 days, with girls seeing it slightly more frequently than boys, as reported in Instagram's own 2021 Bad Experiences and Encounters Survey.
• Spending more than 3 hours a day on social media platforms like Instagram has been linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety, even when factoring in prior mental health conditions, according to a study in JAMA Psychiatry.
• 97% of content recommended to teens who had previously viewed self-harm posts glorified suicide, depression, or self-harm, creating what researchers at the Molly Rose Foundation called a “near constant barrage of harmful posts.”

In an interview with Time, a former Facebook executive and Instagram consultant said Meta knew teens were being exposed to harmful content based on their own research. However, he claims reports of harm on Instagram have largely been ignored by Meta.

"For a tech company with enormous resources, that’s a deliberate choice. This is a very solvable problem.”
– Arturo Bejar, Former Instagram Well-Being Team Member

How to File a Lawsuit for Instagram Addiction

At Sokolove Law, we understand just how serious Instagram addiction can be and the lasting impact it may have on your child's mental and physical health.

For many families, the idea of filing a lawsuit may feel overwhelming. That’s why our social media addiction attorneys handle every step of the process on your behalf if you have a case, allowing you to focus on your child’s health and safety.

Our Instagram addiction lawyers can:

• Provide a free case review to determine if you may be able to take legal action
• Collect evidence like medical records, Instagram usage data, and expert testimony to support your claim
• File your Instagram addiction lawsuit against Meta before any legal deadlines
• Negotiate a social media settlement that provides compensation as quickly as possible
• Represent you in court and seek compensation from a trial verdict if a settlement can't be reached

Taking legal action may feel like a big step, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Sokolove Law is here to guide your family, fight for accountability, and pursue the justice and compensation you deserve.

Why Is Instagram So Addictive?

Lawsuits claim Instagram was intentionally designed to keep users engaged for as long as possible. The platform has been accused of using advanced algorithms and psychological triggers to encourage repeated use, especially among young people.

The cycle of reward and anticipation from features like infinite scrolling and push notifications can make it difficult for younger users to put the app down.

Addictive Instagram features may include:

• Algorithmic content: Posts are tailored to user interests, making it harder to log off.
• Endless scrolling: A never-ending feed keeps users from reaching a natural stopping point.
• Likes and comments: Instant feedback triggers dopamine responses that reinforce repeated use.
• Push notifications: Alerts prompt users to open the app multiple times a day.
• Stories and reels: Time-limited content creates urgency and fear of missing out (FOMO).

For children and teens, these features can be especially harmful. Their developing brains are more sensitive to dopamine, the brain chemical linked to pleasure and reward. Every “like,” comment, or notification provides a small dopamine boost, reinforcing the urge to keep scrolling.

Over time, this cycle may contribute to compulsive use, declining mental health, and social media addiction. In response, families across the country are now working with lawyers to hold Instagram accountable for the harm caused to their children.

Get Help from an Instagram Addiction Lawsuit Lawyer

Instagram addiction has taken a serious toll on adolescents across the country. Evidence suggests that Meta may have known about the risks yet still designed the platform to keep users hooked, no matter the cost to their mental health.

At Sokolove Law, we’re here to help families stand up to Meta and seek justice. Our team can handle the entire legal process for you if you have a case, so you can focus on supporting your child’s health and recovery.

Learn why so many families choose Sokolove Law:

• Over 45 years of trusted experience
• No upfront costs — we only get paid if you do
• Nationwide reach, helping families in all 50 states
• More than $10 Billion total secured

Call (800) 995-1212 right now or fill out our form to see if we may be able to fight for your family.

Addicted to Instagram Lawsuit FAQs