Tens of thousands of families across the U.S. are filing lawsuits against Meta (Facebook & Instagram), TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and other platforms for creating dangerously addictive products targeted at children.
These lawsuits allege that social media companies intentionally designed algorithms to keep young users hooked—causing documented mental-health injuries, eating disorders, self-harm, and, in tragic cases, suicide.
At Salenger, Sack, Kimmel & Bavaro (SSKB), our national mass tort team is reviewing claims for individuals under age 18 who became addicted to social media and suffered severe harm as a result.
If your child has been affected, call (800) 675-8556 or contact us online for a confidential consultation.
You may qualify if you or your child:
These cases allege that technology companies knowingly used dopamine-driven reward loops to manipulate developing brains—an allegation supported by research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Psychological Association (APA):
Social media companies design their platforms around variable-reward dopamine loops, the same mechanism involved in gambling addiction.
According to the NIH, each “like,” notification, or new post activates the brain’s dopamine reward system, reinforcing compulsive checking behavior.
The prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for decision-making and impulse control—does not fully develop until around age 18.
For children and teens, this imbalance between “reward-seeking” and “self-control” makes them highly vulnerable to addictive features such as:
Major medical organizations—including the American Academy of Pediatrics—warn that social media is strongly correlated with eating disorders, depression, and anxiety in adolescents.
Common injuries tied to social media addiction include:
Many of the lawsuits allege that companies knew their platforms worsened these conditions but continued to prioritize engagement metrics over child safety.
If you or a loved one have been affected by social media addiction, don’t wait to seek legal help.
Contact Salenger, Sack, Kimmel & Bavaro today for a FREE consultation.
Call (800) 675-8556 or contact us online to get started.
The federal Social Media Addiction MDL added 100 new cases, bringing the total to 2,172 active lawsuits.
Case count reaches 2,053.
Growth is steady as firms prepare strong bellwether cases involving minors, whose statutes of limitations are longer.
A pretrial dispute continues over whether Tucson Unified School District or Irvington, NJ should be the first bellwether case.
Tucson includes both negligence and public nuisance claims, making it a stronger test case for settlement value.
Although these early trials involve institutions—not individuals—the verdicts will influence:
A strong showing by school districts strengthens outcomes for individual victims.
While no settlements have been announced yet, compensation in social media addiction lawsuits may include damages for:
When similar mental-health-related mass torts have settled in the past, payouts often range from six to seven figures depending on severity.
Our mass tort attorneys represent families across the country in claims against:
We handle every aspect of your claim—including medical review, documentation, filing, and coordination with the MDL—so your family can focus on healing.
If you or your child suffered harm linked to social media addiction, you deserve answers.
SSKB is here to help guide you through your legal options and hold negligent tech companies accountable.
Call (800) 675-8556 or click below to request a case review: