(FixThisNation.com) – On Wednesday, New York City announced a lawsuit against multiple social media platforms, including YouTube and TikTok which they claim have been contributing to the “youth mental health crisis.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ office in a press release noted that the platforms were at fault for pushing harmful and addictive material to young audiences. He added that over the last decade, it has become clear how harmful this content can be and how much it could fuel the national youth mental health crisis.
The lawsuit explicitly names Google’s Youtuber, Snap’s Snapchat, ByteDance’s TikTok, and Meta’s Facebook and Instagram.
As Adams pointed out they were taking action in order to hold these companies accountable for the harm they are responsible for, while also continuing work to address this public health hazard. He added that the lawsuit is part of a greater reckoning that is going to shape the lives of young people in the future.
Officials have argued that youths are “compulsively” using these platforms even during school hours. This also asserts that social media companies have designed and operated their products in a way that is addicting to young people and that requires minimal parental oversight.
However, the companies named in the lawsuit were swift to refute these accusations. A spokesperson for TikTok pointed out that the platform includes parental controls, age-restricted features, and an automatic limiter for all users under the age of 18 after 60 minutes of usage. They added that they often communicate with experts to ensure that the community is safeguarded.
Copyright 2024, FixThisNation.com
