Instagram is linked to depression, anxiety and insomnia in children  

Rain lawsuits from US states

Dozens of US states are suing Meta, accusing Instagram of fueling a mental health crisis by making its platforms addictive, with 33 states saying Meta misled the public about the dangers of its platforms and knowingly introduced children and teenagers in addictive and compulsive use of social media.

Meta used powerful and unprecedented technology to attract and ensnare children and teenagers. Her motive was profit.

The lawsuit is based on recent research linking the use of Meta’s platforms, and more so Instagram, to ” depression, anxiety, insomnia, interference with education and daily life, and many other negative outcomes .”

Meta said it was ” disappointed ” by the lawsuit.

Instead of working productively with companies across the board to create clear, age-appropriate standards for all apps used by teens, prosecutors chose this path. – Meta representative

YouTube and TikTok are already facing similar lawsuits from child protection organizations and schools over the addictive nature of social media. The focus on Meta comes after revelations in 2021 that the company knew Instagram was addictive and inappropriate for teenage girls’ body image.

The lawsuit alleges that Meta tried to ensure that more young people spent as much time as possible on social media, despite knowing that they were susceptible to the need for confirmation in the form of likes from other users on their content.

Meta is harming our children and teenagers by cultivating addiction to boost their corporate profits. It did not disclose that its algorithms are designed to exploit the dopamine responses of young users and create an addictive cycle of interaction.

It is absolutely clear that the decisions made by social media companies like Meta are part of declining mental health and a threat we cannot ignore.