States Sue Meta

Attorneys general from 41 states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits

yesterday alleging Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, built addictive product features geared toward children despite knowing their negative impact on mental health. The filing specifically calls out the platforms' recommendation algorithms, use of social comparison, collection of young users' data without consent, and more (read here).

Surveys have revealed an increasingly dire outlook for teenage mental health in the US (see page 58 of the report). Forty-two percent of high schoolers say they experience persistent hopelessness, while almost one in five says they've made a suicide plan at some point. The problem is particularly acute among girls—30% report having seriously considered suicide. At the same time, more than half of teens say they spend roughly five hours per day on average across all social media platforms.

Some researchers have argued studies show correlation, not causation, between the trend and social media use. See arguments here and here.