Social Media Addiction
OpenFASTCausation
Plaintiffs allege algorithmic amplification of harmful content causes depression, anxiety, and self-harm in minors. Expert testimony on dopaminergic reward pathways and internal company research (Frances Haugen disclosures) supports design defect theory. JCCP jury validated causation March 2026.
Defendants
| Entity | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Platforms | Platform Operator | Instagram & Facebook — primary defendant in JCCP verdict |
| Alphabet / Google | Platform Operator | YouTube — co-defendant in $6M JCCP verdict |
| Snap Inc. | Platform Operator | Snapchat — named in federal MDL |
| ByteDance / TikTok | Platform Operator | TikTok — growing exposure from AG actions |
Litigation Timeline
Intelligence Signals
Hales M et al.. International journal of adolescent medicine and health. 2026 Nov 4.
Yosep I et al.. Child and adolescent mental health. 2026 Nov 2.
Official JPML monthly report. Historical total 4,495. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, CAN.
Hirsig A et al.. Journal of medical Internet research. 2026 Nov 2.
Gombert-Labedens M et al.. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine. 2026 Oct 30.
Zoellner F et al.. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology. 2026 Oct 30.
Liu Y. Frontiers in psychology. 2026.
Lian J et al.. JMIR mental health. 2026 Oct 28.
Dueren AL et al.. PloS one. 2026.
Zhang W et al.. JMIR medical informatics. 2026 Oct 28.
Nathaniel SD, Innasimuthu M, Gnanaguruparan S. Delaware journal of public health. 2026 Oct.
Bonilla Aparicio E et al.. JAMA network open. 2026 Oct 1.
Liu J et al.. Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland). 2026 Oct 14.
Mostafa M et al.. BMC cancer. 2026 Jul 30.
Yang X et al.. BMC psychiatry. 2026 Jul 27.
Takahara D, Takahara M, Nonaka D. Cureus. 2026 Sep.
Ziser K et al.. The Lancet regional health. Europe. 2026 Dec.
Gerrits C, Claes L, Andriessen K. Frontiers in public health. 2026.
Chen L, Wang T. Asian journal of psychiatry. 2026 Oct 21.
Kim N et al.. NPP - digital psychiatry and neuroscience. 2026 Oct 22.
Whibley I, Pearson M. International journal of mental health nursing. 2026 Oct.
Popov MY. Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova. 2026.
Al-Balas HI et al.. Immunity, inflammation and disease. 2026 Oct.
Mohamed Amin S et al.. Frontiers in public health. 2026.
Nakhl AM et al.. PLOS mental health. 2026.
Holly L et al.. Online journal of public health informatics. 2026 Oct 21.
Price A et al.. BMJ open. 2026 Oct 20.
Haidt J, Rausch Z. Perspectives on psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. 2026 Oct 20.
Unknown authors. Journal of adolescence. 2026 Oct 19.
Nagata JM et al.. Pediatrics. 2026 Oct 19.
Shahat KA. Frontiers in public health. 2026.
Pu Y, Fish JN. Journal of research on adolescence : the official journal of the Society for Research on Adolescence. 2026 Dec.
Gu H et al.. Applied psychology. Health and well-being. 2026 Oct.
Artigues-Barberà E et al.. PloS one. 2026.
Glauser W. Journal of medical Internet research. 2026 Oct 15.
Macharia P et al.. JMIR research protocols. 2026 Oct 15.
Testart Aguirre C, Ilies DA, Hudon A. JMIR formative research. 2026 Oct 15.
Bren Z et al.. Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry. 2026.
Saelee R et al.. MMWR supplements. 2026 Oct 15.
Scott MN et al.. Frontiers in psychology. 2026.
Hindmarch GM et al.. Pediatrics. 2026 Oct 12.
Champion KE et al.. The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific. 2026 Sep.
Arekatla S et al.. Developmental cognitive neuroscience. 2026 Oct 6.
Milane MJ et al.. Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy. 2026 Jul 29.
Suchý V et al.. JMIR mHealth and uHealth. 2026 Oct 9.
Siddiqui S et al.. Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan : JCPSP. 2026 Oct.
Pastorino GMG et al.. Frontiers in psychiatry. 2026.
Wojciechowska M et al.. Frontiers in public health. 2026.
Key Facts
- Status
- active
Geographic Exposure
Eligibility Criteria
- ✓Minor (under 18) who used social media platforms
- ✓Diagnosed with depression, anxiety, eating disorder, or self-harm
- ✓Used platforms for significant period before diagnosis
- ✓Platform use substantially contributed to mental health injury