33 U.S. states suing the Facebook and Instagram owner
Every week, CBC Kids News takes a deep dive into a topic that’s been making headlines. This week we dug into the KN archives to highlight a topic that’s still in the news. Click the video above or below for this week’s KN Explains.
Is social media to blame for the youth mental health crisis?
That’s the question at the heart of a lawsuit filed last week in the U.S.
On Oct 24, 33 U.S. states announced they are suing Meta Platforms Inc. for harming young people’s mental health.
The lawsuit claims the company knowingly designed features on Instagram and Facebook that cause children to be addicted to its platforms.
Meta owns and operates Facebook and Instagram.
“Research has shown that young people’s use of Meta’s social media platforms is associated with depression, anxiety, insomnia, interference with education and daily life, and many other negative outcomes,” the complaint said.
The lawsuit also claims that Meta collects data on children under 13 without their parent’s consent, which is against U.S. federal law.
Rewind to 2021
To help understand this story we’re resharing a video from October 2021.
Back then, CBC Kids News covered the story of a whistleblower who claimed that Meta (which was known as Facebook at the time) creates products that are harmful to children.
Watch our video from that time explaining why some adults are concerned that social media might be harming kids and what they’re doing about it.
KN Explains: Blocking kids from social media ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Have Your Say
This week’s question is about how kids feel social media affects their mental health.
Share your experiences and opinions in the form below.
You can read the answer to last week’s question here:
Have more questions? Want to tell us how we’re doing? Use the “send us feedback” link below. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
With files from The Associated Press
