California Lawsuits Against Social Media: Are Platforms Responsible for Teen Mental Health?

For many parents, social media has become one more thing to worry about in their teens’ lives. They might worry about how the constant scrolling, comparison, and unrealistic expectations could be affecting their teens’ mental health. 

Recently, in California, there have been multiple social media lawsuits around teen mental health. The question has been about whether these social media platforms are responsible for harming teen mental health. And, as we’re learning more about the mental health impact of social media, these types of lawsuits might continue to occur. 

With this article, we explain what these California social media lawsuits are about, how social media can affect teen mental health, and whether these platforms are responsible.

What Are the California Social Media Lawsuits About?

In a first-of-its-kind lawsuit, a young woman and her family sued social media companies, Meta and Google, for the depression and anxiety she experienced from compulsively using social media. And in March 2026, a California jury found the companies guilty.^[1] This lawsuit is just part of a larger wave of legal action against social media companies. 

The lawsuits claim that social media is harming teen mental health and that the platforms willfully make their products addictive and target teens.^[2] Even a report published by Meta showed that 55% of Facebook users had “mild” problematic use of the platform, and millions of users had “severe” problematic use.^[3]

The legal action against social media companies argues that the companies have designed these platforms to keep young users: 

• Scrolling.
• Watching.
• Checking.
• Returning. 

And this is the case even when this use might emotionally harm them. 

The ruling doesn’t mean that social media causes mental health problems in every teen. But it matters because it shows that states and lawmakers are starting to take questions about the social media mental health risks for teens seriously. 

How Social Media Affects Teen Mental Health

Many people have talked a lot, in recent years, about teen mental health and social media. Parents are worried about teen social media use and what consequences it’s having on their emotional well-being. And research continues to show a connection between heavier social media use and higher levels of depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns.^[4] 

Many social media platforms use design features that make it hard for teens to stop using them, such as: 

• Endless scrolling.
• Autoplay videos.
• Beauty filters.
• Algorithm-driven recommendations.
• Likes.
• Follower counts.

For teens, these features are powerful because adolescence is already a stage of:^[5] 

• Identity development.
• Peer influence.
• Emotional growth.
• Brain development. 

Your teen might not just be watching a video; they might be measuring their popularity or comparing their appearance. 

Adolescent mental health and technology are complicated because social media can offer connection and creativity, but it can also create: 

• Pressure.
• Comparison.
• Emotional overload.

Social Media Addiction in Teens: When Use Becomes Hard to Control

Not every teen who uses social media becomes addicted to it. Teens use social media to talk with friends, follow trends, share jokes, learn new things, and relax. But social media addiction in teens can become a concern when they feel unable to stop, even when their use is causing problems.^[6]

If you’re worried about your teen’s social media use, some social media addiction warning signs to look out for are if they: 

• Become extremely upset when asked to put their phone away.
• Lose sleep because of scrolling or watching videos late at night.
• Hide or lie about how much time they spend on social media.
• Constantly check apps, even during meals, school time, or conversations.
• Have lost interest in hobbies, sports, friends, or family time.
• Feel anxious when they can’t access their phone.
• Keep trying to cut back, but haven’t been able to maintain reduced use.
• Become more irritable, withdrawn, or distressed after using certain apps.

When you’re worried about your teen’s social media use, you might feel stuck between taking the phone away completely or giving up because every conversation becomes a fight. When this is the case, the goal is to understand what’s happening underneath the behavior.

Are Social Media Platforms Responsible for Teen Mental Health?

The Instagram and TikTok lawsuits around teen mental health bring up the question of whether social media platforms have a responsibility to mental well-being. 

The recent California social media lawsuits argue that companies should be held accountable. The debate is that their platforms use features that:^[7] 

• Encourage compulsive use.
• Expose teens to harmful content.
• Make it harder for young people to disconnect.

But many factors also shape teen mental health, including: 

• Trauma.
• Bullying.
• Family conflict.
• Sleep.
• Genetics. 

So social media use may not be the only cause of your teen’s difficulties, but it can make symptoms worse when it fuels comparison, isolation, sleep loss, and distress.

What Parents Can Do if They’re Worried

If you’re concerned about your teen’s social media use, start with small steps. Overreacting can sometimes make your teen more secretive, especially if they worry that you’ll take their phone away. 

Next, talk with your teen when you’re both calm and let them know what you’ve noticed without blaming them. For example, you might point out that you’ve noticed your teen has anxiety from social media use or that they seem more upset after being on their phone. Approach it with curiosity, letting them know you want to understand what’s going on.

From there, create realistic boundaries. These might look like: 

• Charging phones outside the bedroom overnight.
• Keeping meals phone-free.
• Setting app limits together.
• Turning off nonessential notifications.
• Taking breaks from accounts that trigger comparison.
• Creating screen-free time before bed.
• Encouraging offline activities that support confidence and connection.

It also helps when you model the habits you want to see. Teens are more likely to accept technology boundaries when the whole family is working toward healthier routines.

Find Structured Support for Your Teen’s Mental Health