{"id":2077961,"date":"2023-10-24T15:38:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T19:38:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dozens-of-u-s-states-sue-meta-over-youth-mental-health-crisis\/"},"modified":"2023-10-24T15:43:03","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T19:43:03","slug":"dozens-of-u-s-states-sue-meta-over-youth-mental-health-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dozens-of-u-s-states-sue-meta-over-youth-mental-health-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Many U.S. states sue Meta for youth mental health crisis."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdozens-of-u-s-states-sue-meta-over-youth-mental-health-crisis%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2077961&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo\u2064 by LIONEL BONAVENTURE\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>OAN\u2019s Stephanie Stahl<\/h2>\n<p>12:36 PM \u2013 Tuesday, October 24,\u2063 2023    <\/p>\n<p>Dozens of U.S. states have\u200c opened up a lawsuit against the Instagram-parent company\u2062 Meta, formerly known\u200b as Facebook, \u200dclaiming it is \u200bharming young people\u2019s mental health by purposely designing \u201caddictive\u201d features on its\u200b platforms. <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-3\" style=\"min-width: 320px; min-height: 50px; text-align: center;\">  \t<script>  \t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-3'); });  \t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"ad-slot__ad-label\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit was filed in a California federal court on Tuesday as a result of an investigation led by a bipartisan\u2062 coalition of attorneys\u200b general (AG). <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote data-service=\"twitter\" data-category=\"marketing\" data-placeholder-image=\"https:\/\/c3.oann.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/complianz-gdpr\/assets\/images\/placeholders\/twitter-minimal.jpg\" class=\"cmplz-placeholder-element twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">There is a mental health \u2062crisis\u2062 fueled by the compulsive use of Meta\u2019s platforms by our youth. The lawsuit I filed today is \u200dpart of a bipartisan \u2064coalition of \u200c33 states seeking\u200d to hold Meta accountable for addicting \u2062our youth to social media. Watch in full: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EkNgKMeg7P\">https:\/\/t.co\/EkNgKMeg7P<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8hrxDVSIxD\">pic.twitter.com\/8hrxDVSIxD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014\u200b Illinois Attorney\u2063 General (@ILAttyGeneral) \u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ILAttyGeneral\/status\/1716889862882910373?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 24, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-service=\"twitter\" data-category=\"marketing\" async data-cmplz-src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>33 states, \u200bincluding California, New York, Tennessee, and \u200cIndiana are involved in \u2064the widespread lawsuit. <\/p>\n<p>Nine other AG\u2019s also filed in \u2063their respective states, \u200cbringing\u200d the total\u2062 number\u200d of\u2064 states involved up to\u2062 42. <\/p>\n<p>Based on Meta\u2019s own research, \u200cthe\u2064 lawsuit \u2064accuses the social\u200d media giant \u200dof\u200b designing features \u2014 such as infinite newsfeeds and frequent\u2063 notifications \u2014 to exploit and addict minors whose brains are still developing. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote data-service=\"twitter\" data-category=\"marketing\" data-placeholder-image=\"https:\/\/c3.oann.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/complianz-gdpr\/assets\/images\/placeholders\/twitter-minimal.jpg\" class=\"cmplz-placeholder-element twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Today, I joined a lawsuit \u2064suing\u2064 Meta in federal court\u200b alleging the company knowingly designed and deployed harmful\u2063 features on \u200dInstagram and its \u2064other social \u200bmedia\u2063 platforms\u200c that purposefully\u2063 addict children\u200c and teens. <\/p>\n<p>We\u2062 have been investigating this issue on various\u200c platforms\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Patrick Morrisey (@MorriseyWV) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MorriseyWV\/status\/1716851589904822441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 24, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-service=\"twitter\" data-category=\"marketing\" async data-cmplz-src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Meta was allegedly aware that Instagram harms\u2063 teenagers\u2019\u2062 mental \u200bhealth, especially in relation to body image issues. One internal \u2064study found\u200c that 13.5% of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dozens-of-u-s-states-sue-meta-over-youth-mental-health-crisis\/\" title=\"Many U.S. states sue Meta for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-democrats-block-ashley-hinson-bill-to-reopen-schools-with-in-person-learning\/\" title=\"House Democrats Block Ashley Hinson Bill to Reopen Schools with In-Person Learning\">youth mental health crisis<\/a>.&#8221;><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/research-suggests-social-media-is-influencing-teens-to-adopt-mental-illness-identities\/\" title=\"Research Suggests Social Media Is Influencing Teens To Adopt Mental Illness Identities\">teen girls reported<\/a> worsening suicidal \u2063thoughts<\/a> after viewing Instagram, while\u200c 17% of teen girls reported that it worsens their eating disorders. <\/p>\n<p>New York AG Letitia James also says that Meta is to\u200b blame for \u200dthe youth mental health crisis. <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cMeta has\u2063 profited from children\u2019s pain by intentionally designing \u2063its \u2064platforms with \u200cmanipulative features that \u2062make children addicted\u2063 to their platforms\u2063 while lowering their self-esteem,\u201d James\u200d asserted. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The \u2064extensive legal action \u2064also alleges that Meta has consistently gathered data on children below the age\u2063 of 13 without obtaining the necessary parental\u2063 consent, which\u200c violates\u200b federal regulations.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit calls for Meta to cease its\u2064 manipulative tactics and requests the company to pay \u2064substantial financial penalties,\u200b including restitution, \u2062according to James.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cMeta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and\u2063 ultimately ensnare \u200cyouth and teens.\u200b Its \u200dmotive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial \u200bgains,\u2063 Meta has repeatedly\u200d misled the public about the substantial dangers of its\u200b social media platforms. \u2062It has concealed the ways in which these platforms exploit and manipulate its\u200b most vulnerable consumers: teenagers and children,\u201d\u200b the complaint reads.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Meta responded to the lawsuit with a statement, contending that it shares the AG\u2019s commitment to ensuring teenagers have safe and positive interactions online.  <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re disappointed that instead\u2063 of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate\u2063 standards for the many apps teens \u200duse,\u2064 the attorneys general have chosen this path,\u201d the \u2063company said. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Meta also \u200dadded that it has already introduced\u200d over 30 tools to support \u2062minors and their families. <\/p>\n<p>Social media usage\u200b among teenagers is almost ubiquitous in the United \u200cStates and various other regions across the globe. \u2062 <\/p>\n<p>According to\u2064 the Pew Research Center, up to 95% of young people between the ages of 13 \u200dand\u200d 17 in the U.S.\u2064 use social media, and over a third of them claim\u2064 to\u2062 be engaged with \u200bsocial media \u200c\u201calmost constantly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stay informed! Receive breaking \u2062news \u2063blasts directly to your inbox \u2064for free. Subscribe here. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/alerts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.oann.com\/alerts<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-4\" style=\"min-width: 320px; min-height: 50px; text-align: center;\">  \t<script>  \t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-4'); });  \t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"ad-slot__ad-label\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<p class=\"dpsp-share-text\" style=\"margin-bottom:10px\"> \t\t \t\tShare this post!\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<h3>Customs \u2064And Border Protection reports<\/h3>\n<p>that agents\u200d have recently arrested\u2064 18 people on the terror watchlist at the Southern Border. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<h3>Arizona House Candidate Abe Hamadeh<\/h3>\n<p>is calling on \u2064the Biden \u2064Administration \u2064to reclassify \u200cYemen\u2019s Houthi Forces as a foreign terrorist\u200c group. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<h3>Serious questions are risen\u2062 by top House Republicans<\/h3>\n<p>about \u200chow Hamas is\u2062 acquiring their firepower. \u200d <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<h3>Washington D.C. bans criminals<\/h3>\n<p>from \u2063wearing masks while committing crimes. Meanwhile, Joe Biden kicks it in Delaware while \u200bAmericans are held captive \u200bin Gaza.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<h3>Elon Musk said\u200c the social media platform X<\/h3>\n<p>will \u2064soon launch \u200btwo new tiers of premium subscriptions.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<h3>Bitcoin jumped \u2064on Friday<\/h3>\n<p>above $30,000\u2062 for first time since July, taking gains for the\u2062 week past 10%.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<h3>Meta and TikTok have \u2064been given a\u200b week<\/h3>\n<p>to provide details on measures taken to counter\u200c the spread of terrorist,\u200d violent content and hate speech on their\u200c platforms.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<h3>Netflix \u200bincreased subscription prices<\/h3>\n<p>for some streaming\u200d plans\u200d as\u200d it \u200cshattered expectations for new customers.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> rnrn  <\/p>\n<h2> What potential implications could the outcome \u2064of \u200bthis lawsuit have for \u200cthe broader tech industry<\/h2>\n<p><span> <\/p>\n<p>There is a mental health crisis fueled by the compulsive use of Meta\u2019s platforms by our youth.\u200c The\u2063 lawsuit I filed today is part\u200d of a\u200c bipartisan coalition of 33 states seeking to hold Meta accountable for addicting our youth \u200cto social media.<\/p>\n<p>These are the words of\u2062 \u200bIllinois Attorney\u2063 General, referencing the recent lawsuit filed against Meta (formerly known as Facebook) \u200cby \u200ddozens of U.S.\u2062 states. The lawsuit alleges\u2063 that the\u200b social media \u200bgiant\u2064 is harming the mental health of young people by \u200bpurposefully designing addictive \u200dfeatures on its platforms.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit was filed in a California federal court on Tuesday, following an investigation led\u200c by a \u200bbipartisan coalition of attorneys general (AG) from\u200d across the \u200dcountry. A total of 33 states,\u2064 including influential \u200bones\u200d such as California, New York, Tennessee, \u200cand \u2064Indiana,\u2062 are involved\u2062 in this widespread\u200b legal\u200c action. In addition, nine other AGs have filed in their respective states, \u2063bringing the total number of states involved to 42.<\/p>\n<p>The crux\u200b of the lawsuit lies in Meta&#8217;s own research, which allegedly demonstrates the deliberate design of features that exploit and addict minors. Features such as infinite \u2063newsfeeds and frequent \u2063notifications are cited as examples of strategies \u2063employed by\u200d Meta to keep young users engaged\u2063 on their platforms.\u200c The\u200b lawsuit asserts that these addictive features harm the mental well-being of young people,\u200c whose brains are\u2062 still in the process of developing.<\/p>\n<p>The claims made by the attorneys general reflect\u2064 growing \u200dconcerns about the\u2062 impact of social media on \u200dmental health, particularly among young individuals. Numerous studies have highlighted the potential \u200cnegative effects of excessive social media use, including increased rates of anxiety, depression, and poor body image\u200b among young people. The\u2064 addictive nature of certain platform features can exacerbate these issues and \u200cfurther contribute to \u2064the \u2064mental health crisis faced by today&#8217;s youth.<\/p>\n<p>Meta\u200d has responded to the lawsuit by stating that it has taken significant steps to address these concerns and \u200bpromote the well-being of its users. The company \u200dhighlights\u200b its efforts\u2064 to implement tools that allow users\u200b to manage their time on the platform and\u2063 to prioritize meaningful interactions. However, critics argue that more\u2064 needs to be done to protect vulnerable individuals, especially minors, from the potential harms of addictive design.<\/p>\n<p>The outcome of this lawsuit will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications for the broader \u2062tech industry. It could set a precedent for holding social\u200b media companies accountable for the \u2062impact \u2064of \u200dtheir platforms on mental health and potentially lead to changes in industry \u2063practices. As concerns about the addictive nature of social media continue to grow, it is crucial to find a balance between technological \u2062innovation and the well-being of users, particularly the young and vulnerable.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the responsibility to address the harms caused \u200cby addictive features on social media platforms lies \u200bnot \u2064only with the companies but also\u200b with policymakers, parents, \u2063educators, and society as a whole. A comprehensive approach that includes regulation, education,\u200b and support is\u2063 necessary \u200dto\u200d protect the mental health of\u200b our youth in an increasingly digital \u200dworld.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dozens of U.S. states sue Meta, formerly Facebook, alleging it deliberately creates &#8220;addictive&#8221; features on its platforms, harming young people&#8217;s mental health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2416,"featured_media":2077962,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[542],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2077961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oann"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2077961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2416"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2077961"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2077961\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2077962"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2077961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2077961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2077961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}