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Addiction to social media has been a rising concern for several years, especially given its effects on minors and young adults. Experts say the overuse of social media platforms–such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and others–can cause serious harm to users’ psychological and physical health.

Nationally, hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against various platforms, claiming that social media addiction led to injuries including disordered eating, self-harm, accidental death, suicide, and others. Claimants allege that social media algorithms are designed to encourage addiction, users are subjected to endless feeds that promote continuous engagement, and platforms know or should have known their products’ risk but failed to warn users about them.

While most existing lawsuits have been combined in a multidistrict litigation (MDL) before the U.S. District Court for the District of Northern California, many more suits are anticipated. Plaintiffs typically seek damages for economic loss, emotional distress, medical costs, relationship disruptions, educational setbacks, and other harms.

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