Source: Business Insider
Recent reports specify how Facebook’s owner Meta Platforms Inc. and Snap Inc were sued by an advocacy group. The group is suing the companies over the suicide of a teenager from Wisconsin. It comes forward as the newest attempt by the group to hold the companies accountable for addiction to their outlets.
The teenager was Christopher James Dawley, from Wisconsin, who went by the nickname CJ. He was a college-bound honours student who was a sports enthusiast, and well acquainted with outdoor activities. However, he reportedly got intensely drawn to social media, leading him to often using Meta’s Instagram even at 3 in the morning. These details were specified by the lawsuit filed on Monday, April 11. CJ’s mother, Donna Dawley reportedly filed the lawsuit in Wisconsin federal court.
In her complaint, Dawley specified how her son never indicated overt “signs of depression mental illness.” However, he developed an addiction to the social media platforms of Meta and Snap. Moreover, he went on to become increasingly “sleep deprived” and more obsessed with “his body image.”
“CJ never showed outward signs of depression or mental injury but became addicted to defendants’ social media products,” said Donna Dawley.
The incident took place a month before CJ’s 17th birthday in January 2014. His family was cleaning up decorations from Christmas at the time when the he made a post on his Facebook profile. He posted “Who turned out the light?” on the platform, shot himself to death with his phone in hand. The court filing further specified that he shot himself with a 22-caliber rifle in the other hand.
This case appears similar to previous ones filed Social Media Victims Law Center, which is based in Seattle, Washington. The suit alleges that Meta Platforms purposely developed algorithms that maintain teens’ obsession to their platforms. This is to promote excessive engagement on it that they know is indicative of a type of use that is obsessive and self-destructive.
Dawley went on to allege in her filing how neither of the companies “warned users or their parents” of the addictive and psychologically harmful impacts. These impacts evidently caused in minors by the use the platforms of these companies.
Though requested for a statement, neither representatives of Meta nor Snap responded to messages through email. These messages were sent post regular business hours for a comment on the case. The case is Dawley vs. Meta Platforms Inc.,22-cv-0044, US District Court, Eastern District of California.
