On Wednesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration took bold action against social media companies, holding them accountable for contributing to the youth mental health crisis. The lawsuit filed here accuses TikTok, Instagram, Facebook (Meta), Snapchat, and YouTube of having a harmful influence on children. The city has also created an action plan to address the ongoing crisis.
The city is working with hundreds of school districts and health agencies across the country to push these big tech companies over the edge and force them to change their behavior. Because both companies are connected to the region, the lawsuit was filed in California Superior Court.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ Mental Health Crisis Lawsuit Against Social Media Platforms
The city reportedly spends more than $100 million annually on youth mental health programs. Mayor Adams’ recommendation analyzes the “addictive and overwhelming” use of the online world over the past decade, pointing to a “nonstop flow of harmful content” that is fueling a national youth mental health crisis. There is.
The advisory acknowledges that New York City is “built on innovation and technology,” but these social media platforms promote addiction and encourage risky behaviors, which can lead to poor youth mental health. is at risk.
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Corporate lawyer Hines Radix also disrespected these companies by prioritizing profits and disregarding the welfare of children. The advisory recommends that parents, educators, health care providers and other stakeholders prohibit children from using social media until age 14 as a safeguard.
In response to the allegations, a TikTok representative issued a statement claiming that the company adheres to “industry-leading safeguards” for teenagers that suggest age restrictions. A Google spokesperson denied the allegations and refuted the allegations. The company claims “healthier experiences online” are a core element of its work. Representatives also highlighted built-in services that provide an age-appropriate experience while giving parents access to robust controls.
New York Attorney General Letitia James praises New York Mayor’s efforts to hold these companies accountable for designing platforms that “deliberately manipulate and addict children and teens to social media applications” did.
Key points highlighted among advisors discount these companies in the following ways:
- Use algorithms to generate specific feeds that lock users onto the platform and encourage compulsive usage
- The app’s design is said to be similar to gambling, with users coveting likes and hearts, creating an endless stream of personalized content and ads. We also provide
- Reciprocity manipulates users and forces them to respond to one positive action with another. This cycle of interaction keeps users up-to-date on messages being viewed and notifications of messages delivered, encouraging repeat visits to the platform on the loop, and perpetuating online engagement and immediacy. Masu.
New York City’s latest update reported an increase in the number of mental health crises. In New York City, over the past year, he found that more than 38% of high school students felt hopeless or extremely sad and had given up participating in certain normal activities as a result. In 2021, the hopelessness rate for Latino and Black high school students was nearly 50% higher than for white high school students. The ratio of girls to boys who felt hopeless was 70:30, which was unbalanced.
The report also confirms the grim statistic that a third of the country’s 13- to 17-year-olds use social media “nearly all the time.”
This is not the first time the Adams administration has taken action to address the youth mental health crisis. In 2023, the Mayor of New York launched He TeenSpace, a free mental health support program available to teens ages 13 to 17 in New York City. Additionally, in March 2023, the Mayor of New York City also launched “Care Community Action: New York City’s Mental Health Plan.” ” is another mental health plan aimed at tackling the health hazards plaguing children and young people.