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Social Media Addiction and Injury Attorneys in Austin, Texas
U.S. teens spend an average of 4.8 hours per day on social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, according to a Gallup survey of more than 1,500 adolescents released last fall.
Research shows teens who spend more than three hours a day on social media face a significantly higher risk of mental health problems, and 46% of adolescents said that social media made them feel worse about their bodies.
Another survey from Pew Research found that up to 95% of teens reported using at least one social media platform, while more than one-third said they used social media “almost constantly.” As social media use has risen, so have self-reports and clinical diagnoses among adolescents of anxiety and depression. Both male and female adolescents are being subjected to significant dangers because of their social media use, including body shaming, attacks on their self-esteem, and other sensory disturbances that are leading to eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorders, self-mutilation, and tragic attempts or effective suicides.
This epidemic has gone far enough. Our skilled Texas personal injury lawyers are partnering with attorneys who specialize in mass torts to file lawsuits against social media companies that knowingly built platforms using algorithms specifically designed to lure young people into a destructive addiction. If your adolescent child’s mental health and overall well-being have been impacted by social media use, take a stand and contact us today for help.
Who Can File a Social Media Addiction and Injuries Lawsuit?
Our lawyers are investigating cases on behalf of kids, parents, and young adults who have:
- Used one or more social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat.
- Commonly uses or has used the platforms more than three hours per day.
- Started using the platforms before the age of 18.
And suffered one or more of the following injuries or conditions related to their use of the platforms before the age of 21 and received treatment or counseling for the injury or condition:
- Eating Disorders.
- Body Dysmorphia.
- Self-Harm.
- Suicidal Ideation.
- Suicide Attempts.
- Suicide.
If your teenager has suffered from any of these unimaginable injuries or illnesses, call our skilled social media addiction and injury attorneys today for help.
Bipartisan Bill Aims to Protect Children Online
Congress members have introduced several bills intended to boost protections for children and teenagers online.
One is a wide-ranging measure, the Kids Online Safety Act or KOSA. It would require online services like social media networks, video game sites, and messaging apps to take “reasonable measures” to prevent harm—including online bullying, harassment, sexual exploitation, anorexia, self-harm, and predatory marketing—to minors who use their platforms.
It would also require the services to turn on the highest privacy and safety settings by default for users under 18. It would also allow young people to limit or opt out of features like personalized newsfeeds, smartphone notifications, and auto-playing videos “that result in compulsive” app use.
United States Surgeon General Urges Congress to Require a Warning That Social Media Use Can Harm Teenagers’ Mental Health
In June 2024, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, said he would urge Congress to require a warning that social media use can harm teenagers’ mental health. He would push for a warning label on social media platforms advising parents that using the platforms might damage adolescents’ mental health.
Warning labels—like those on tobacco and alcohol products—are among the most powerful tools available to the nation’s top health officials. However, Dr. Murthy cannot unilaterally require them; the action requires approval by Congress.
The proposal builds on several years of escalating warnings from the surgeon general.
In a May 2023 advisory, he recommended that parents immediately set limits on phone use and urged Congress to develop health and safety standards for technology platforms swiftly.
He also called on tech companies to make changes: share internal data on their products’ health impact, allow independent safety audits, and restrict features like push notifications, autoplay, and infinite scroll, which he says “prey on developing brains and contribute to excessive use.”
The Kids Online Safety Act would require platforms to take various steps to protect minors on social media but does not include warning labels.
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Contact Our Social Media Addiction and Injury Attorneys Today
If your teenager’s physical or emotional well-being, or both, has been compromised by social media use, call our skilled social media addiction and injury attorneys at (512) 883-0277 or contact us online today to schedule a free consultation. We pursue dedicated, driven results for our clients, and there is never a charge to talk to an attorney. We stand ready to help you.
