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Meta Platforms and Snap are facing a new legal challenge in the United States over claims that their social media platforms contributed to serious mental health problems among teenagers. The plaintiffs alleged that features designed to keep users engaged encouraged compulsive social media use and contributed to problems such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.
The case involves two plaintiffs identified in court documents as S.J., a 16-year-old from Illinois, and K.D.B., an 18-year-old from Mississippi. Both said they began using online platforms at a young age and later experienced serious mental health difficulties.
Their lawyers argued that features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay, and engagement streaks encouraged prolonged use. They claim these design choices made it harder for young people to stop using the apps.
The lawsuits initially named TikTok and YouTube alongside Meta and Snap. However, TikTok and YouTube settled with the plaintiffs before trial. Meta also settled with S.J., leaving the company facing claims from K.D.B. Snap remains a defendant in both cases.
Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, said young people's mental health is affected by several factors. The company also argues that the plaintiff used TikTok more extensively than Instagram or Facebook and that personal circumstances contributed to her difficulties.
Snap maintained that Snapchat differs from traditional social media platforms because it focuses primarily on messaging rather than a feed of ranked posts. The company says it has introduced safeguards and rejects claims that the allegations accurately describe its platform.
The companies have also asked the court to separate the two cases, arguing that combining them could confuse jurors about the evidence.
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The proceedings are part of a much wider legal battle over social media's impact on children and teenagers. Reuters reported that California state court has consolidated more than 3,300 individual lawsuits.
The trial is considered a bellwether case, meaning its outcome could help both sides assess the strength of similar claims and shape future settlement discussions.
In March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube liable in an earlier case involving alleged harm to a young user and awarded $6 million in damages. Both companies disputed the outcome.
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The latest case adds to mounting pressure on social media companies to explain how their products affect young users. Lawyers representing the teenagers are expected to challenge features designed to encourage repeated engagement.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram head Adam Mosseri and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel are expected to testify as the proceedings continue. The case could become another important test of whether technology companies can be held legally responsible for the effects of their platform design on young people's mental health.
