Holding Social Media Companies Accountable for Youth Harm
Beasley Allen is a national leader in litigation against Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, holding social media companies accountable for harm caused to children, families, schools, and communities nationwide.
We represent teens and families affected by social media addiction, along with school districts and public entities forced to confront the realworld consequences of platforms designed to keep young users engaged as long as possible—often at the expense of their mental health, safety, and development.
Since 2022, our firm has filed personal injury lawsuits across the country on behalf of teenagers and young people harmed by compulsive social media use and has brought claims for public nuisance and negligence on behalf of school districts. These cases seek accountability for corporate decisions that placed profits over the wellbeing of children—and aim to protect future generations from similar harm.
Digital Dilemma: Social Media Addiction
Today’s youth are the first generation to grow up entirely in a digital world. Social media platforms are deeply woven into daily life, shaping how young people communicate, socialize, and see themselves. While often promoted as safe and beneficial, growing evidence shows that excessive social media use can have serious mental health consequences for minors.
Over the past decade, youth engagement with social media has increased dramatically. During the same period, families, educators, and healthcare professionals have reported sharp rises in:
- Anxiety and depression
- Eating disorders and body image issues
- Attention and focus problems
- Selfharm and suicidal ideation
Despite these warning signs, social media companies continued to deploy algorithms and features designed to keep young users scrolling longer, more frequently, and more intensely—often without meaningful warnings, safeguards, or transparency for parents and schools.
National Proceedings and the Path Forward
Social media litigation is now centralized in two major proceedings:
- Federal MDL (MultiDistrict Litigation) in Oakland, California
- California JCCP (Judicial Council Coordinated Proceeding) in Los Angeles
These cases bring together thousands of plaintiffs, including injured teens, school districts, local governments, and tribal entities. All allege harm caused by Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.
Beasley Allen attorney Joseph VanZandt serves as CoLead Counsel in the JCCP and as a federalstate liaison in the MDL, placing our firm in a leadership role in this nationwide litigation. Through discovery, attorneys have uncovered internal research, platform design decisions, and algorithm practices that are central to the claims.
The litigation has cleared major legal and expert challenges. The first personal injury bellwether trial in the JCCP moved forward in January 2026 in Los Angeles Superior Court, marking a major milestone in the cases against the social media companies. The federal MDL is also progressing, withcases continuing to advance through bellwether trial selection and scheduling in 2026.
Algorithms, Addiction, and Mental Health
According to the Pew Research Center, nearly half of U.S. teens say they are online “almost constantly,” and many report spending more time on social media than they would like.
As social media use has increased, so have concerns about teen mental health. Research has linked heavy use to a range of problems, including anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and eating disorders. Nearly half of teens say social media has a mostly negative effect on people their age, and about one in five say it harms their own mental health.
Some teens are especially vulnerable. Studies show that teen girls are more likely to report negative effects related to confidence, body image, and sleep.
The U.S. Surgeon General has cautioned that teens who spend more than three hours a day on social media face a higher risk of depression and anxiety, highlighting the urgent need for safer platform design and stronger protections for young users.
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