Instagram Lawsuit: Instagram Mental Health Lawsuit Guide & Updates

Platforms like Instagram are being accused of exacerbating mental health problems and eating disorders.

Last year, The Wall Street Journal published information on The Facebook Files, documents released by a former company employee detailing the link between body image problems and teenage users.

Among many other things, Instagram is accused of prioritizing engagement statistics over its users’ well-being and knowing their platform’s impact on mental health but not doing anything to mitigate the negative effects.

It’s not just The Wall Street Journal that’s investigating Instagram’s impact on mental health.

In 2018 the BBC ran a piece detailing how the app can be “addictive,” and later that same year, Forbes claimed it might be worse than cigarette addiction.

There have recently been a few class action lawsuits against Instagram, in particular, the case against the embedding feature.

This involved two photographers who sued Instagram in 2021.

They did this on behalf of any users who found that their uploaded content had been embedded elsewhere without their consent.

They claimed that, among other things, it facilitated third-party access to user data and allowed them to commit copyright infringement.

However, the lawsuits related to mental health are directed more generally at Meta, the owner of various social media companies, including Instagram.

The Instagram mental health lawsuit filed against Meta is a class action lawsuit that seeks to hold the company liable for the mental health effects that its platform can have on users.

It also claims that the company violated California law by failing to protect minors from the negative effects of its platform.

In 2022, two families of girls who have eating disorders sued the company, saying that its Instagram platform led to mental health issues in teenage users in particular.

These are the most recent lawsuits that were filed in San Francisco.

The families have hired Laura Marquez-Garrett of the Social Media Victims Law Center to represent them.

The lawsuit alleges that Instagram caused the girls to become addicted, leading to various mental health issues, including eating disorders like anorexia.

These conditions resulted in suicide attempts and various hospitalizations.

Instagram addiction can be defined as a condition whereby an individual feels compelled to use the social media platform excessively, to the point that it causes them distress or interferes with their daily life.

The excessive use of Instagram can lead to numerous negative consequences.

In extreme cases, social media addiction can lead to body image problems, eating disorders, and other mental health disorders.

This especially affects teenage users, who often contribute the most time spent on social media.

This addiction involves not being able to stop scrolling, comparing oneself to others, feeling FOMO, obsessive behaviors and other mental health problems that can take over one’s life.

It is important to note that addiction is a serious mental health issue and should not be taken lightly, leading to many taking some form of legal action against Instagram.

Although the platform is generally considered safe for adult Instagram users, young users are at a higher risk of developing addiction and other mental health issues.

This is due to the fact that social media can be very damaging to young people who are still developing mentally and emotionally.

Additionally, the constant onslaught of images and messages can be overwhelming for young users, leading them to develop depression and more.

Other highly concerning safety aspects is the prevalence of sexual messages and content from people trying to exploit young girls.

This can lead to young girls developing a distorted view of body image and sexuality and has even led to attempted suicide by a high amount of teen girls.

The influx of mental health and social media lawsuits shows that Instagram is certainly a problem for teenage users, as it can lead to a number of negative consequences.

Mental health lawsuits against Instagram allege that the platform contributes to self-harm, suicide, anorexia, sleep deprivation, abuse, depression, and many other mental health issues.

These Instagram lawsuits also claim that the platform is deliberately designed to be addictive and uses algorithms that exploit vulnerabilities in young people and young adults, particularly those who have fragile mental health.

While it is difficult to know the true extent of the damage that Instagram causes, there are certainly a number of teenagers and young adults who have been significantly affected by the platform.

Instagram does affect self-esteem and self-worth, especially among teen Instagram users.

While adult Instagram users may be able to distinguish false lifestyle portrayals from reality, teen users are still developing their sense of self and may believe the images they see on Instagram represent what life should be like.

This has led to massive issues relating to teen girls and their body image and has made it easier to exploit young girls on the platform who are highly susceptible to negative thinking about themselves.

Body image issues in teenage girls and boys result from constantly seeing images of perfectly-crafted lives and bodies on the platform, along with filters that make users look even more idealized.

This can lead to feelings of inadequacy and extremely low-self worth, to the point of suicide attempts in some cases.

You may qualify for this lawsuit if you are a young person who developed mental health issues as a result of using Instagram.

Qualifying conditions for the Instagram Lawsuit include, but are not limited to:

• Eating disorders like binge eating, bulimia, and anorexia
• Depression
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Suicidal ideation
• Cutting or self-harm
• Attempted suicide

If you are the parent or guardian of a child under the age of 18 who has experienced negative mental health effects or committed suicide as a result of using Meta products, you may also be eligible to join this lawsuit.

You’ll likely receive compensation for potential damages, such as economic and non-economic losses, as a result of your mental health issues.

In this case, damages could include medical bills, emotional suffering, therapy costs and more.

If you’re unsure whether you qualify to take part, use our chatbot below for a free case evaluation.

The Instagram mental health lawsuit could set a precedent for other social media companies that are being accused of similar things, and if successful, could result in significant compensation for those who have been affected.

It could also lead to more regulation around the way social media platforms are designed and operated.

If you believe you or your child may have a case, be sure to speak with a qualified attorney today.