If you or your child is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any time of day or night. You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
Families across the country have filed claims against the companies behind Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube, alleging that the way these apps were designed contributed to children harming themselves, attempting suicide or dying by suicide. If your child self-harmed or attempted suicide after years of heavy social media use, or if your family lost a child, you may be able to pursue a claim for compensation and accountability.
What the Lawsuits Claim
The lawsuits say the companies built their apps to keep young people engaged as long as possible, and that for many children the result was compulsive use, lost sleep, constant comparison and a worsening of depression and anxiety. According to the claims, the apps’ recommendation systems also showed vulnerable teens more and more content about self-harm and suicide once they had lingered on it, and the companies knew this from their own research but did not warn families.
The features at the center of these claims include:
- Recommendation feeds that allegedly learn what holds a teen’s attention and serve more of it, including distressing content the teen never searched for.
- Notifications late at night that the lawsuits say pull kids back to their phones and cut into sleep.
- Endless scrolling and autoplay that remove natural stopping points.
- Weak age checks and parental controls that the lawsuits say let young children onto the apps and left parents unable to see or limit what they were shown.
Suicide is rarely caused by any single thing. The claims do not say social media was the only factor. They say the companies’ design choices made things worse for young people who were already struggling, and that the companies should have known it and warned families. These claims focus on what the companies did, not on parents, who were often given no way to see what their child was being shown.
What the Companies Knew
Internal Instagram research disclosed in 2021 by former Facebook employee Frances Haugen and reported by The Wall Street Journal found that among teens who reported suicidal thoughts, 13 percent of British users and 6 percent of American users traced those thoughts to Instagram. In 2019, after public pressure in the United Kingdom, Instagram banned graphic self-harm images but did not remove all self-harm content from the app.
In 2022, a coroner’s inquest in England found that the negative effects of online content contributed to a teenager’s death, and that platform algorithms had fed her this material, some of it chosen for her without her asking for it.
TikTok faces similar claims. Internal documents made public in a Kentucky case in 2024 described users being drawn into narrow streams of negative content within about half an hour, and showed that some self-harm and suicide videos passed early rounds of TikTok’s content review. A 2023 Amnesty International study of TikTok found that accounts set up as 13-year-olds who showed interest in mental health were quickly fed large amounts of potentially harmful mental health content.
For more on Meta’s records, see Meta internal documents.
What Health Officials Say
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Americans ages 10 to 24. The suicide rate for that age group rose 62 percent from 2007 to 2021, according to the CDC. In the CDC’s 2023 survey of high school students, 27 percent of girls said they had seriously considered suicide in the past year. These thoughts can pass, and most young people who get support and treatment recover.
The U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 advisory on social media warned that childhood deaths have been linked to suicide and self-harm content and to risky online challenges, and that there is not yet enough evidence to determine whether social media is sufficiently safe for children and teens.
Harms Covered by These Claims
Claims have been brought for:
- Self-harm
- Suicidal thoughts
- Suicide attempts
- The loss of a child to suicide
- Deaths and serious injuries from dangerous viral challenges
These injuries often come together with depression and anxiety or eating disorders, and those can be part of the same claim.
Where the Cases Stand
The first social media addiction case to reach a jury involved a young woman who alleged that heavy use beginning in childhood worsened her depression and suicidal thoughts. In March 2026, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent and awarded her $6 million. Meta has appealed, and YouTube has said it will appeal.
A second trial against Meta and Snap began with jury selection on October 28, 2026. Wrongful death claims are among the more than 3,800 cases pending in the federal proceeding in Oakland and the cases coordinated in Los Angeles, and families continue to file new ones, including suits filed in Delaware in 2026 on behalf of four teens who died by suicide. No global settlement for families has been announced.
Warning Signs to Watch For
If you are worried about a child right now, these are some of the signs that mean it is time to reach out for help:
- Talking about wanting to die, feeling hopeless or being a burden
- Withdrawing from friends, family and activities they used to enjoy
- Big changes in sleep, including staying up late on a phone
- Unexplained injuries, or keeping arms or legs covered even in warm weather
- Sudden mood changes, anger, or more use of alcohol or drugs
- Giving away belongings or saying goodbye
Treatment and support work for most young people who are struggling. Talk with your child, stay close, and contact a doctor or counselor. It is okay to ask directly whether they are thinking about suicide. Asking does not put the idea in their head. If you are unsure what to do, call or text 988 for guidance, for your child or for yourself.
If you are a young person reading this and you are struggling, you are not alone. Call or text 988, or tell an adult you trust. Help is there, and things can get better.
Who May Have a Claim
Claims are being reviewed for:
- A young person who began heavy use of Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat or YouTube before age 18
- Who is now 25 or younger and self-harmed, had suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide, and received medical or counseling treatment
- Or a family who lost a child or young adult, age 21 or younger, to suicide or to a dangerous online challenge
You do not need to have every record in hand to start, and asking questions does not commit you to anything.
Compensation
No amount of money makes up for what families have lost. These claims are how families hold the companies responsible, and they can seek compensation for medical, hospital, counseling and treatment costs, past and future, along with pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. In a wrongful death claim, families may also seek compensation for the loss of their child’s love and companionship and for funeral costs, depending on state law.
Getting Started
Doyle APC handles social media addiction claims together with experienced co-counsel, for families nationwide. The case review is free, private and done at your pace, and you pay nothing unless there is a recovery. If your family has lost a child, you do not have to go through this alone. The 988 Lifeline can also connect you with grief support and suicide loss support groups.
If you or your child is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any time of day or night. You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
Common Questions
Can parents file a claim after losing a child to suicide?
Yes. Families have filed wrongful death claims against Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube alleging that the design of their apps contributed to a child’s death. Who may bring the claim on the family’s behalf depends on state law, usually a parent or the representative of the child’s estate.
Can we file a claim if our child survived self-harm or a suicide attempt?
Yes. Self-harm, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts are each listed as injuries on the standard claim form used in the federal cases. Many of these claims also involve depression, anxiety or an eating disorder.
Is there a class action for social media self-harm or suicide claims?
No. Each family files its own claim. The claims are grouped in federal court in Oakland and in California state court in Los Angeles so they can share evidence and test trials, but each claim is considered on its own facts.
What about deaths and injuries from viral challenges?
Families have also filed claims over children hurt or killed after dangerous challenges were recommended to them in their feeds. In 2024, a federal appeals court allowed one of those claims against TikTok to go forward, finding that TikTok’s own recommendations were not protected by the federal law that usually shields websites from lawsuits over what users post.
Will we have to share private details publicly?
Children’s names are kept to initials in court filings, and many plaintiffs in these cases are identified only by initials. Medical records are handled with protections for privacy. You can ask about privacy before deciding anything.
Is there a deadline to file?
Yes. Deadlines vary by state and depend on the child’s age and when the injury or death occurred. Wrongful death deadlines can be shorter than other claims, so it is worth asking soon, even if you are not ready to decide.
Did Meta’s settlement with the states pay families?
No. Meta’s August 2026 settlement with state attorneys general pays the states and requires changes to how teens use its apps, including controls meant to block harmful content about self-harm. It does not compensate any family. Families must file their own claims.
What does it cost?
Nothing up front. You pay nothing unless there is a recovery.