Post by : Rameen Ariff

New York City has filed a major federal lawsuit accusing Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and other social media platforms of fueling a growing mental health crisis among children and teenagers. The 327-page complaint, filed in Manhattan federal court, alleges that these companies deliberately designed their platforms to exploit young users’ psychology, encouraging addictive behavior for profit.

The lawsuit names Meta Platforms, owner of Facebook and Instagram; Alphabet, which owns Google and YouTube; Snap, the parent company of Snapchat; and ByteDance, owner of TikTok. The city accuses the companies of gross negligence and creating a public nuisance that has put young New Yorkers at risk.

New York City joins a wave of legal action across the United States, including about 2,050 similar lawsuits currently underway in the Oakland, California, federal court, brought by governments, school districts, and individuals. With a population of 8.48 million, including approximately 1.8 million children under 18, New York City represents one of the largest plaintiffs in this national litigation.

The complaint highlights alarming statistics: over 77% of high school students, and 82% of teenage girls, report spending more than three hours a day on screen time, including smartphones, computers, and television. The city argues this excessive use contributes to lost sleep, chronic school absences, and other mental health issues.

According to the complaint, social media has also been linked to dangerous behaviors like subway surfing, a trend in which teens ride on top of or alongside moving trains. At least 16 subway surfers have died since 2023, including two girls aged 12 and 13 in October 2025.

In January 2024, New York City’s health commissioner officially declared social media a public health hazard, citing the strain it places on schools, hospitals, and taxpayers. The lawsuit argues that the city has been forced to bear the financial burden of addressing the resulting youth mental health crisis.

A spokesperson for Google denied the allegations against YouTube, stating that the platform is primarily a streaming service, not a social network where users connect with friends. Other companies named in the lawsuit have not responded to requests for comment.

New York City’s law department noted that the city withdrew from a previous state court case in California so it could join the federal lawsuit, emphasizing the need for accountability from social media companies. “Defendants should be held to account for the harms their conduct has inflicted,” the filing states.

As concerns about teen mental health and social media addiction grow nationwide, this lawsuit represents a significant step by New York City to hold tech giants responsible for the safety and well-being of young users.

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