Fourteen state attorneys general each filed separate lawsuits against TikTok on allegations that the platform causes youth to become addicted and harms their mental health.
According to the allegations contained in the lawsuits, TikTok's "endlessly scrolling feed of content," "challenge" videos that sometimes encourage risky behavior, and late-night push notifications may be harmful to children.
TikTok claims its platform is safe for children, and it offers safety features including default screentime limits for younger users and optional tools for parental oversight.
However, the attorneys general allege that "TikTok uses an addictive, content-recommendation system designed to keep minors on the platform as long as possible and as often as possible, despite the dangers of compulsive use."
One of the complaints claims that TikTok knows about the harmful effects this is having on the mental health of millions of children and teenagers in the U.S.
TikTok's beauty filters allegedly encourage unhealthy body image and social comparison that can lead to mental and physical health disorders. "Challenges" can encourage dangerous behaviors, such as the Brooklyn teenager who died while riding on the outside of a subway train. The boy's mother later found "subway surfing" videos on his TikTok account.
Furthermore, the attorney general alleges, "TikTok considers users under the age of 13 to be a critical demographic," even though TikTok claims to only allow those 13 and older on the platform. As a result, the complaint accuses TikTok of violating the US Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
TikTok also faces other lawsuits, including one filed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) claiming it unlawfully collected the data of children. Clare Duffy and Deidre McPhillips "TikTok sued by 14 attorneys general over alleged harm to children's mental health" www.cnn.com (Oct. 08, 2024).
Commentary
In October 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the results of its Youth Risk Behavior Survey related to social media use.
The survey found that 68.6 percent of LGBQ+ high school students who are frequent social media users, as well as 34.4 percent of heterosexual frequent social media users, experienced "persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness" in the past 12 months.
By contrast, among high school students who were not frequent social media users, 52.9 percent of LGBQ+ teenagers and 22.3 percent of heterosexual teenagers said they had such feelings.
In addition, 40.4 percent of LGBQ+ frequent social media users and 13.9 percent of heterosexual frequent social media users "seriously considered attempting suicide," with 32.4 percent and 11.7 percent, respectively, making a plan, and 19.4 percent and 6.3 percent, respectively, attempting suicide.
On the other hand, among LGBG+ non-frequent users, 35.3 percent seriously contemplated suicide, and among heterosexual non-frequent users, 10.0 percent seriously contemplated suicide.
Overall, 77 percent of the students surveyed said they are frequent social media users, meaning they use social media several times per day. Female high school students were more likely than male students to be frequent users - 81.8 percent compared to 72.9 percent. "Frequent Social Media Use and Experiences with Bullying Victimization, Persistent Feelings of Sadness or Hopelessness, and Suicide Risk Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2023" www.cdc.gov (Oct. 10, 2024).
