New York City Mayor Eric Adams has initiated legal action against major social media companies, accusing them of contributing to the mental health crisis among the youth.
The lawsuit targets industry giants, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube.
Adams is joined in this lawsuit by Corporation Counsel Sylvia O. Hinds Radix, Commissioner of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Dr. Ashwin Vasan, President of NYC Health + Hospitals Dr. Michell Katz, and Department of Education Chancellor David C. Banks.
These officials allege that the major five social media platforms are responsible for exacerbating the ongoing nationwide youth mental health crisis.
The city, which invests over $100 million yearly in youth mental health initiatives, is taking a firm stance with a comprehensive strategy to make social media safer for younger audiences.
The initiative includes holding companies accountable for their platforms, educating the youth and their guardians on responsible social media use, and delving into the platforms’ effects on young New Yorkers’ mental health.
Mayor Adams said, “Over the past decade, we have seen just how addictive and overwhelming the online world can be, exposing our children to a non-stop stream of harmful content and fueling our national youth mental health crisis.”
He added, “Today, we’re taking bold action on behalf of millions of New Yorkers to hold these companies accountable for their role in this crisis, and we’re building on our work to address this public health hazard. This lawsuit and action plan are part of a larger reckoning that will shape the lives of our young people, our city, and our society for years to come.”
According to City Hall, in New York City, more than 38% of high school students reported feeling so sad or hopeless in the past year that they ceased participating in their usual activities.
In 2021, the rate of hopelessness among NYC high schoolers was nearly 50% higher for Latino and Black students compared to white students, and almost 70 percent higher for female students compared to male students.
Also, in 2021, 77% of New York City high school students reported spending an average of three or more hours per school day in front of screens, excluding schoolwork.
The lawsuit explicitly accuses the social media giants of deliberately engineering their platforms to addict young users through gambling-like mechanisms, algorithms designed to maximize user engagement, and exploiting the principle of reciprocity.
Attorney General Letitia James voiced her support for the city’s actions, stating, “Our children are facing a mental health crisis fueled by social media companies’ disregard for their safety and wellbeing. We owe it to our kids to tackle the damaging effects of social media, and I applaud Mayor Adams for taking this important action today to hold these companies accountable.”
