Dozens Of States Allege Instagram’s Tech Is Addictive, Harming Young Users
The lawsuit accuses Meta, Instagram's parent company, of using allegedly addictive features that hurt children's mental health. As reports highlight the ongoing youth mental health crisis, researchers find young adults in the U.S. experience anxiety and depression twice as frequently as teens.
CNN:
States Sue Instagram-Parent Meta Over 'Addictive' Features And Youth Mental Health Harms
Dozens of states sued Instagram-parent Meta on Tuesday, accusing the social media giant of harming young users’ mental health through allegedly addictive features such as infinite news feeds and frequent notifications that demand users’ constant attention. In a federal lawsuit filed in California by 33 attorneys general, the states allege that Meta’s products have harmed minors and contributed to a mental health crisis in the United States. (Fung, 10/24)
CNBC:
Meta's Harmful Effects On Children Unites Republicans And Democrats
While Republican and Democratic lawmakers appear more incapable than ever of working together to pass legislation, they largely agree on one thing: Meta’s negative impact on children and teens. (Vanian, 10/24)
The Boston Globe:
N.H. Sues Meta To Stop Addictive Features Harming Children’s Mental Health
New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella filed a separate lawsuit in Merrimack Superior Court Tuesday against Meta for allegedly violating state consumer protection laws. Eight states and D.C. filed related actions in state and federal courts. “(Meta) has broken and continues to break the mental health of our kids, and it’s time we put a stop to it,” Formella said at a press conference in Concord on Tuesday. He said New Hampshire has been particularly hard hit by a mental health crisis. (GoKee, 10/24)
More on the youth mental health crisis —
The Washington Post:
Young Adults Suffer From Anxiety, Depression Twice As Often As Teens
Young adults in the United States experience anxiety and depression twice as frequently as teenagers, according to a new nationally representative survey by Making Caring Common, a project of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. Thirty-six percent of young adults — ages 18 to 25 — reported anxiety, compared with 18 percent of younger teenagers — ages 14 to 17 — while 29 percent felt depression, compared with 15 percent in the younger age group in the survey. (Lewis, 10/24)
Crain's Chicago Business:
Youth Mental Health Crisis Overwhelms Parents, Caregivers
A children's mental health crisis in Chicago and across the nation that predates the isolation and chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic has outgrown the abilities of psychiatrists and therapists to treat it alone. (Asplund, 10/23)
The Washington Post:
Is A Lack Of Independence Fueling A Youth Mental Health Crisis?
For years, Peter Gray, a research professor of psychology and neuroscience at Boston College, has been closely following two disturbing trends: the dwindling of independent activity and play afforded to children over the past half-century, and the accelerating rise in mental health disorders and suicides among youth during that same period. There are familiar factors that surface in discussions of the youth mental health crisis in America, with screen use and social media often topping the list of concerns. But Gray suspects a deeper underlying issue: The landscape of childhood has transformed in ways that are profoundly affecting the way children develop — by limiting their ability to play independently, to roam beyond the supervision of adults, to learn from peers, and to build resilience and confidence. (Gibson, 10/24)
In related news about mental health —
Side Effects Public Media:
Farm-Based Activities Can Support Mental Wellness. Why Aren't There More Care Farms In The U.S.?
Care farms are agricultural places for people with physical or mental health challenges to process their emotions, while performing farming tasks and working with animals. Participants are able to receive formal or informal care to address things like anxiety, depression and grief. It’s a popular concept in Europe that hasn’t gained as much traction in the United States yet. But a new national network hopes to change that. (Gabriel, 10/29)
