When Social Media Usage Has Caused Or Worsened A Teen’s Mental Health Problems
If your teenage son or daughter has suffered mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression or bulimia, or if you, as a young adult, have struggled with such maladies stemming from your use of social media beginning in your teenage years, you may have legal recourse. The problems that you and your family have struggled with in connection with social media usage and teen mental health crises are likely much more than just the results of your imagination.
At The Mahoney Law Firm, P.C., we help parents and individuals with serious histories of youthful mental health harm involving social media platform usage. With our assistance, our clients can pursue appropriate legal remedies
How Can I Prove That Social Media Has Contributed Unjustly To My Child’s Debilitating Anxiety Or Depression?
Consider a sampling of recently highlighted research findings:
- A Pew Research study showed that 35% of teenagers report that they use one or more of the following “almost constantly:” YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook (Reported on pewresearch.org, August 10, 2022)
- Facebook’s internal documents indicate that the rates of problematic use of Facebook are highest among users who are about 14 years old. (Reported on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah, featuring an interview with former Facebook employee and whistleblower, Frances Haugen, posted on YouTube on February 10, 2022).
Meanwhile, consider the alarms sounded by mental health professionals about disturbing trends such as the following among young people who engage in heavy use of social media:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Bullying among peers
- Addictive usage
- Negative body images, especially among young females
- Isolation
- Sleep deprivation
- Exacerbation of underlying tendencies such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
(Discussed in an article by Anne Marie Albano, Ph.D., a co-clinical director at the Youth Anxiety Center at NewYork-Presbyterian, published in Health Matters, a newsletter of that institution, in May 2021).
According to whistleblower Frances Haugen, evidence confirms that the social media giant now known as Meta has deliberately stoked dangerous activities on its platforms for the sake of profits despite evidence that young users were susceptible to harm.
Don’t Throw In The Towel Without Exploring Your Legal Options
Perhaps your family has lived through a heartbreaking trauma such as a teenage son or daughter’s suicide attempt or life-saving treatment for an eating disorder. In addition to the emotional toll on your teenager and the whole family, there may be expensive medical bills to pay along with other costs.
Our attorneys are here to help you look into legal action you may take, such as joining a class action, initiating a class action or filing an individual lawsuit. Initial consultations with our lawyers are free, and you will not owe us attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you and/or your child. Call us at 303-800-3168 or send an email message to get the conversation started.