New York City has filed a 327-page lawsuit against Meta, Google, Snapchat, and TikTok, accusing them of fuelling a youth mental health crisis and turning children into screen addicts. The complaint, backed by city schools and hospitals, claims social media addiction is costing millions in treatment and driving dangerous behaviours such as subway surfing, which has killed at least 16 teenagers since 2023. Officials report that 77% of high school students spend more than three hours a day online. Google denies wrongdoing, calling YouTube a “streaming service.” The case joins more than 2,000 lawsuits nationwide targeting Big Tech’s impact on children’s well-being.
