By Dimitra Gatzelaki,
TikTok is again at the center of a scandal, with 14 U.S. states filing a lawsuit against the platform for its contribution to a worsening mental health crisis among teens. A bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general leads the charge with the lawsuit, which claims that the algorithm-driven nature of TikTok’s design is intentionally addicting and thus causing psychological harm to young users.
The states say the app’s endless scroll of content —combined with viral, often deadly, stunts and heavily retouched beauty filters— is leaving teens anxious, sleep deprived, and increasingly dissatisfied with their appearance. In a recent incident, one teenager took their life while doing a viral subway surfing stunt promoted on the platform.
The suit, led by New York and California, goes right to the heart of TikTok’s business model —to maximize user engagement, in particular among teens. The more time teenagers spend on it, the more advertising money TikTok makes. Letitia James, Attorney General of New York, did not mince her words: she blamed TikTok for opting to prioritize profit over safety. The lawsuit also alleges the site is in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act for collecting data on users under 13 without getting proper parental consent. This again raises concerns over its compliance with federal privacy laws.
TikTok has fired back, defending itself by pointing to the safety measures it already has in place, like screen-time limits for minors, default privacy settings, and parental control features. However, critics —and the attorneys general behind the lawsuit— say the measures are far from adequate. They argue that TikTok’s design is to keep users hooked for as long as possible, which only deepens the mental health issues many teens are facing.
With this lawsuit following similar legal actions against social media giants like Meta, it’s clear that platforms’ role in youth mental health is coming under the most intense scrutiny. This could be how the battle takes shape to bring about real changes in the protection of the mental wellbeing of young users. This is just the latest reminder of the depth to which social media has penetrated the daily lives of teenagers today —and just how serious the consequences can be.
References
- TikTok sued by 14 attorneys general over alleged harm to children’s mental health. CNN. Available here
- TikTok sued for ‘wreaking havoc’ on teen mental health. BBC. Available here
