Source: Pacific Press / Getty
New York is taking a hard line against social media. The mayor filed suit claiming Tik Tok, Instagram and more are responsible for the mental health crisis with children.
As mentionted with Digital Music News, the current mayor of the Big Apple is taking on social media with claims that its apps are causing mental health problems for young people. On Wednesday, February 14 Mayor Eric Adams held a press conference together with the Commissioner of the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Dr. Ashwin Vasan, President of NYC Health + Hospitals, Dr. Michell Katz, and the Chancellor of the New York Department of Education, David C. Banks. During the presentation, the politician announced the filing of a lawsuit against TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Facebook, stating that each of these platforms is fueling a national mental health crisis.
“Over the past decade, we've seen how addictive and overwhelming the online world can be, exposing our children to a constant stream of harmful content and fueling our national youth mental health crisis,” he explained. “Our city is built on innovation and technology, but many social media platforms end up endangering our children's mental health, promoting addiction and encouraging risky behavior. Today, we're taking bold action on behalf of millions of New Yorkers to hold these companies accountable for their role in this crisis, and we're building our work to address this public health risk. This lawsuit and action plan are part of a broader reckoning that will shape the lives of our young people, our city and our society for years to come.”
According to NYC.gov, The filing alleges that the platforms “deliberately designed their platforms to intentionally manipulate and addict children and teenagers on social media.” Some of the features that officials say create these conditions include “using algorithms to create flows that keep users on platforms longer and encourage compulsive use” and “gambling-like mechanics in app design that allow waiting and desire for likes and hearts.”
The Daily News References A Meta spokesperson says Facebook and Instagram have “over 30 tools and features” to help parents make social media safe for their kids. Jose Castaneda, a Google spokesman, says YouTube also offers “robust parental controls” and says “The allegations in this complaint are simply not true.”
You can watch the press conference below.
