Parents hold social media responsible for suicides possibly prompted by platform use.   

Wisconsin – November 5, 2022

Several parents whose children committed suicide are filing lawsuits against Meta and Snap after Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen leaked hundreds of internal documents, including some that showed the company was aware of the ways Instagram can damage mental health and body image. In her testimony before Congress last fall, Haugen also raised concerns about how Facebook’s algorithms could drive younger users toward harmful content, such as posts about eating disorders or self-harm, and lead to social media addiction.

Although alarms have been raised about social media addiction for years, Haugen’s testimony – coupled with concerns around kids’ increased time spent online during the pandemic – has made the issue a national talking point. But change hasn’t come fast enough for some families. Victims, or surviving family members in the case of fatal loss, should talk with a personal injury lawyer about identified negative health impacts that may include:

• Depression or depressive symptoms
• Anxiety
• Eating Disorders
• Body Dysmorphia
• ADHD
• Self-harm or suicidal ideation
• Any other diagnosed mental illnesses

It is important for a doctor to request that a “functional capacity evaluation” be conducted to determine residual harms and how social media drove them. Victims of social media harms may need to prove that the negative mental health issues were not present before the extended use of the platforms.

Recoverable damage compensation.

Damage compensation in a personal injury lawsuit refers to correcting any losses, economic or non-economic, incurred because of an external factor.  Any mental health struggles caused by Instagram in this case may require compensation to cover:

• Medical treatment costs,
• Therapy costs,
• Pain and suffering,
• Emotional damages,
• Lifelong disability addresses loss of income and professional training,
• Other potential damages as identified in the Meta lawsuits.

Individuals and families who are suffering through mental health issues and related financial insecurity caused by social media addiction or those who have lost a loved one through suicide due to a negative social media interaction should contact experienced Michigan personal injury lawyers to discuss their concerns.

Victim criteria.

Lawsuits for social media may be based on improper or non-existent warnings to the dangers posed by their use and victims who used the platforms before they turned 21, spend more than 3 hours per day and suffer from mental health issues may be able to build a case against Instagram based on the lack of transparency regarding known dangers data researched by Meta.  Depending on the harms to a victim’s health, it may be prudent to consult with a Michigan Facebook lawsuit attorney at the Neumann Law Group who can explain when legal action is warranted and how the process plays out.

Hire an attorney.

Michigan personal injury attorneys  at the Neumann Law Group will assist families to build a case against Facebook or other social media platforms based on the evidence brought to congress last year and through proof of injury to the victim. Proving negligence may require a variety of witnesses from the behavioral health, medical, technological design, and consumer protection specialties, in addition to collecting scientific evidence supporting associated mental health risks, crises and statistical death numbers related to social media.

Neumann Law Group

300 E Front St #445
Traverse City, MI 49684
Phone: (231) 221-0050
Fax: (231) 221-0051

Sources:

1. Their teenage children died by suicide. Now these families want to hold social media companies accountable | CNN Business
2. Facebook whistleblower testifies company ‘is operating in the shadows, hiding its research from public scrutiny’ | CNN Business
3. https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title28/part6/chapter171&edition=prelim