TikTok Mental Health Lawsuit – December 2024 Update

The TikTok Mental Health Lawsuit is an active lawsuit

See If You Qualify

TikTok Mental Health Lawsuit Overview

Many teens and young people use the social media platform TikTok and experience negative impacts to their mental health. Now, young adults and concerned parents are filing lawsuits against TikTok. Those lawsuits allege the platform and its content caused a range of mental health issues. Those mental health impacts include suicidality, self-harm, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, depression, and anxiety.

Parents and young people also believe TikTok, like other social media companies, knew their platform was addictive and harmful for children but failed to warn users and parents of these risks. Due to the harms associated with using social media platforms, hundreds of consumers filed claims in state courts. Many of these lawsuits have been consolidated into MDL #3047, In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers is overseeing the lawsuit. As of November 1, 2024, 620 lawsuits are pending, with new cases continuing to be filed today.

TikTok and Mental Health Lawsuit – 2024 Updates

December 9, 2024: TikTok Could Be Banned in U.S. by January 2025 if Ownership Is Not Transferred to an American Entity

An appeals court in Washington, DC, upheld a previous verdict that said TikTok owner ByteDance must sell part of the company to an American owner by January 19, 2025. ByteDance, a company based in China, has until that date to divest the business to an American owner. In a majority opinion issued by  the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, if ByteDance fails to divest, TikTok will effectively be unavailable in the U.S. To remain available past January 19, TikTok could also file a 90-day extension based upon progress towards a qualified divestiture.

December 2, 2024: More Than 200 Plaintiffs Join the Lawsuits Against TikTok and Other Social Media Companies

More than 200 people who allege they were harmed by social media platforms like TikTok joined the consolidated lawsuit against these companies. As of December 1, 2024, there were 815 pending social media lawsuits in MDL 3047. These lawsuits allege that social media giants like TikTok knowingly designed a product that could have negative impacts to adolescents’ health. Further, they allege that despite knowing about the dangers, they made their products more addictive, causing further harm to young social media users.

November 27, 2024: Mother Speaks Out Against TikTok, Accusing the Platform of Leading to Her Son’s Suicide

Jennie DeSerio lost her son Mason Edens to suicide. DeSerio would go on to file a lawsuit against TikTok, accusing the platform of being responsible for her son’s death. DeSerio said that her son, who was 16 at the time of his death, went through a breakup. During that time, he started using TikTok a lot. DeSerio said that without prompting, the platform used her son’s data to serve self-harm-related content on her son’s “For You” page. She said that her son did not search for this content, but was presented with it nonetheless. DeSerio said, “I firmly believe that my son would be alive today had the TikTok algorithm not shown him those videos, and I blame TikTok for my son’s suicide.” She said that parents need to “wake up” to the threats TikTok poses to young people and offered steps to help other parents.

November 15, 2024: Court Mostly Denies TikTok’s Motion to Dismiss School District Lawsuits

TikTok MDL Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, mostly denied TikTok’s request to reject claims made by school districts and local governments. Authorities in 19 states had filed public nuisance lawsuits against TikTok, Meta, Snapchat, and others for creating and maintaining harmful platforms. The defendants asked the Judge to throw out the lawsuits because they believed this legal theory did not apply to these cases. The judge mostly disagreed with the defendants, allowing 15 of the 19 government-brought lawsuits to proceed. 

October 18, 2024: Parties in TikTok MDL Lawsuit File Status Update Ahead of Case Management Conference

On October 18, 2024, the plaintiffs and defendants filed a key status update to inform the judge handling the TikTok mental health lawsuit about important line items. The document outlines each side’s position on critical aspects of the case—like the scope of discovery and what motions they might file. The outcome of these discussions can shape the flow of the lawsuit and what information each side can gather or suppress along the way. 

March 28, 2023: TikTok Mental Health Lawsuit Judge Appoints Guardian Ad Litems in 75 Cases

On March 28, 2023, the judge overseeing the TikTok MDL allowed 75 parents and legal guardians to serve as a guardian ad litem for minors harmed by the social media platform. A guardian ad litem acts on behalf of someone else—in this case, a minor child—in a lawsuit. This step helps protect children from having to go to court and have their personal information and stories become public.

March 10, 2023: Philadelphia Young Adult Files Lawsuit Because of Suicidal Ideation After Using Platform

Dymand McNeal joined the TikTok mental health lawsuit on March 10, 2023. Dymand—who was 24 at the time of filing—claims that the platforms’ designs caused him to develop a social media addiction when he was a teenager. Because of this addiction and exposure to images and content on the platforms, he experienced suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges.  

October 6, 2022: TikTok Multidistrict Litigation Opened Against Meta, ByteDance, Snap, YouTube, and Others 

On October 6, 2022, the multidistrict panel transferred 28 state lawsuits against many social media platforms to a federal MDL (No. 3407). These lawsuits allege that TikTok, ByteDance, Meta, Snap, and other social media companies encouraged addictive behavior in adolescents and failed to warn parents of the risks of these platforms on their children’s mental health.

About the TikTok Mental Health Lawsuit:

What Is the TikTok Mental Health Lawsuit About?

Consumers, concerned parents, and others are filing lawsuits against social media giant TikTok for creating, marketing, and providing a product that is addictive and negatively impacts the mental health of adolescents. For example, many parents lost their children to suicide, which these parents believe was brought on by social media use. Additionally, youths are speaking out about their own experiences with mental struggles triggered by content they saw and engaged with on social media when they were children.

Parents, consumers, and others believe social media companies designed the product to be addictive and did not warn parents and the public about the harmful effects of using these platforms. Attorney generals across the United States have joined in this fight against TikTok, citing the company’s deceptive and unsafe platform. Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against TikTok, ByteDance, and other platforms because of the harm their products allegedly caused children.

How Does TikTok Affect Mental Health?

Research continues to suggest the design and content on the TikTok creates compulsive and unavoidably addictive usage in children. As a result, studies show that children are experiencing mental health struggles—like self-harm, anxiety, body dysmorphia, Tic Disorder, and suicidal ideation—at an increased rate.

As noted in a 2022 study, the rate of anxiety is highest between ages 10 and 24, with approximately 24.9 percent of adolescents experiencing anxiety during a 12-month period. This same study found that, in 2020, 69 percent of TikTok’s users were between ages 13 and 24. The study’s authors cited other research into TikTok suggesting a link between TikTok use among adolescents and heightened anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Exposure to Harmful Content

While TikTok claims to have safety features to protect youths, many of these are likely deficient. For example, many children can watch TikTok videos that will give them instructions on easily bypassing parental locks. Additionally, the age verification prompts can be dismissed and fooled. As a result, children can readily view content that is harmful and not age-appropriate. 

Addictive Design Features

TikTok’s designs are accused of encouraging addictive behaviors, especially in developing minds. Features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and “For You” content feed create a system that constantly supplies users with content. The algorithm hits on the user’s interests, pain points, and vulnerabilities. This can create an environment that draws children in and makes it nearly impossible for them to fortify themselves against the platform’s influence. 

Body Image Concerns

TikTok’s algorithm and content present a skewed representation of what is typical or attractive, encouraging users to strive for idyllic and unhealthy standards. For example, influencers use a range of filters, editing techniques, and photo enhancements to present themselves as “perfect” in a way that people—even the influencers themselves—cannot achieve in real life. Fitspiration content challenges users to follow steps to reach the ideal version of themselves, often targeting specific genders and body features. As a result, many children develop unrealistic and harmful notions of what is acceptable and achievable in their lives, often at the expense of their self-image and feelings of worthiness. 

Misinformation and Self-Diagnosis

Content published by many influencers on TikTok is creating a rise in self-diagnosis. Children going through puberty have a drive to fit in and make sense of a confusing and uncomfortable transition in their lives. Many are turning to social media, where they encounter TikTok content and begin self-diagnosing themselves with mental health disorders. In many cases, the symptoms children are experiencing are part of ordinary development. Children may talk themselves into believing they have autism, ADHD, depression, and other disorders, even going so far as to self-medicate based on the advice of influencers. Additionally, the algorithm is feeding users one-sided or misguided views of the world such as fake or AI-generated posts pretending to be actual world leaders. 

Addictive TikTok Design Features and User Experience

TikTok’s design centers around catering to the specific user, maximizing engagement, and presenting a streamlined user interface that is responsive and easy to use. Features such as the infinite scroll, “For You” feed, autoplay function, reward systems, social validation mechanisms, and filters create an engaging and inviting environment that draws people in and feeds on their basic human need for validation and connection. 

The constant stream of content increases engagement as well, in part because it limits the number of natural breaks where the user might choose to move away from the app. Instead, they are relentlessly bombarded with content that is specially curated for them and speaks to their insecurities, interests, and pain points in a compelling way. Unfortunately, the features that make TikTok effective and highly engaging can also make it addictive and dangerous to developing minds.

The ‘For You’ Feed

TikTok’s “For You” feed presents information, content, and suggestions curated for that individual user. The algorithm will suggest and autoplay content that will most likely engage the user, including advertising and influencer material. Often, these suggestions are made without regard to whether the content is useful, accurate, or safe for that particular user to view. 

Research reveals that platforms like TikTok flood users with extreme content, such as tips for following a “corpse bride diet.” The Center for Countering Digital Hate also found that TikTok’s algorithm bombards young users with harmful content—like depictions of disordered eating, self-harm, and suicidality—at a rate much higher than for accounts of older users. In the Center’s study, TikTok’s algorithm fed this content to the user in the “For You” feed within 30 minutes of the account’s creation. The platform presents curated content that encourages unrealistic and unsafe views and practices for kids and their bodies.

Infinite Scroll Videos

With the infinite scroll video feature, users receive a constant stream of content that continues indefinitely. On past social media platforms, search results and content would be presented in segments or pages, meaning the user would have to perform an additional action to find more material. TikTok’s interface does away with this, providing a never-ending supply of content for as long as the user continues to swipe. This feature aims to catch the user’s attention and increase their activity on the app. 

According to Pew Research polling, about 17% of U.S. teens report “constant” or “nearly constant” use of TikTok. That same poll found that 58 percent of U.S. teenagers said they visit TikTok daily. TikTok uses a full-screen infinite scroll feature, meaning the user’s attention is geared entirely toward one video at a time. Then, they receive a constant stream of content without any breaks between each video. This encourages continuous engagement by training the person’s brain to release dopamine with each new video.

Autoplay Functionality for Videos

TikTok’s autoplay functionality creates a seamless, endlessly engaging interface that allows users to continue interacting with content without manual input. As users scroll with their thumbs, the content automatically plays as it appears on the screen, rather than requiring the user to do something—e.g., click a button—to play the videos. As videos continue to play, the user’s attention is drawn to the content and continuously bombarded with material. 

The net result is the creation of a virtual environment that is addictive and compulsively engaging. Children may become captivated by content as they interface with an endless supply of short-length videos that play with minimal to no effort on their part.

Variable Reward System

Another addictive feature of TikTok is its variable reward system. When recommending videos to users, the algorithm presents videos of different lengths and content types at unpredictable times. Because of this, the user is in a constant state of anticipation, heightening the reward system response and craving they experience. 

TikTok’s variable reward system aligns with the Hook model of user engagement and the formation of addiction. Users do not know if or when they will receive a reward—e.g., a video or notification that gives them a dopamine hit. Because of this, their brain has an increased level of anxiety and anticipation, with the promise of something on the horizon to help satisfy this need for a resolution. The user either receives what they are looking for—which triggers the cycle—or takes additional action—e.g., scroll through content—to seek out this resolution.

Social Validation Mechanisms

TikTok’s model incorporates a suite of social-validation mechanisms that satisfy a user’s need for connection and provide a sense of belonging and acceptance. For example, users can see how many people viewed, liked, shared, and commented on a video they or someone else posted. Users have the potential to create a video that becomes viral, encouraging them to use the platform’s tips and hacks to become the next sensation. 

Additionally, TikTok’s collaborative features—like duets and challenges—allow users to feel like they are part of a movement or group. This feeds into a need for social validation—especially strong in adolescents—and pushes them to engage in risky behaviors. For example, adolescents have harmed themselves with TikTok challenges involving boiling water or open flames. Likewise, the real-time feedback from others on the platform creates an engaging and addictive environment that keeps users on the app.

Filters and Effects

TikTok offers a range of filters and effects beyond what other platforms provide. The ability to edit and enhance one’s appearance on TikTok includes the capability to infuse augmented reality elements into the videos. Additionally, the Effect House allows users to create and share their own filters and effects with others. Users can download and use these to create their own videos, increase participation, and foster a sense of belonging and community. 

Being able to edit their appearance and videos in powerful ways—through filters, AR, and color enhancements—creates an immersive and compelling environment for users. Adolescents may be drawn into these depictions of reality where they can do, be, and look like things they cannot in the real world. This can increase their participation in and loyalty to the platform and particular influencers. In turn, users may become dissatisfied with and disconnected from their world.

‘TikTok Brain’ and Its Impact on Attention Span in Youth

TikTok’s endless offerings of engaging short-form content infused with social validation and other compelling features create an addictive app environment. With over 1.5 billion users worldwide, most of TikTok’s members are teenagers and young adults whose brains are highly impressionable and still developing. Studies are beginning to show a link between prolonged usage of TikTok’s immersive platform and poor mental health, cognitive control, and attention span, and an increased need for instant gratification. 

Adolescents who use TikTok for excessive amounts of time each day showed increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Researchers also noted that adolescents who engaged in the addictive use of TikTok experienced bullying, academic stress, decreased attention span, and behavioral issues at a higher rate compared to their non-addicted peers. Because they are used to receiving an endless supply of short-form content, teens and adolescents may experience increasing frustration and impatience with activities that require sustained attention and focus. 

In short, adolescent brains become used to being fed and bombarded with quick, easy, accessible content with minimal effort. As a result, they may develop shorter attention spans and a lower tolerance for waiting to receive a benefit or result from long-form tasks. Parents can help mediate these impacts by limiting or eliminating children’s access to TikTok and other apps.

Research Linking TikTok and Mental Health in Teens and Adolescents

A growing body of research suggests a link between mental health decline in teenagers and adolescents and TikTok use. In Scrolling Through Adolescence: A Systematic Review of the Impact of TikTok on Adolescent Mental Health, researchers found that many adolescents who used TikTok excessively experienced more depressive symptoms and memory loss. Additionally, TikTok use appeared to cause children to experience increased symptoms of functional motor and Tic behaviors. 

TikTok-Inspired Self-Diagnosis and Its Implications for Educational Psychology Practice explored the phenomenon of self-diagnosis and treatment because of influencer content on TikTok. Children, especially, are driven by the desire to belong with and be understood by their peers. 

TikTok videos exploring neurodivergent behaviors and symptoms of real diagnoses may make children feel like they have that disorder, giving them clarity and purpose. But, their “symptoms”—like feeling socially awkward or uncomfortable in their body—may be ordinary stages of development. Instead of going to their parents, teachers, or professionals for help understanding their mental health concerns, an increasing number of teens are turning to TikTok content, which may not provide accurate or beneficial advice.

TikTok’s Response to Social Media Addiction Lawsuits

Dozens of parents, young adults, local governments, and others are suing TikTok, Meta, Snapchat, YouTube, and other social media providers. Many of these lawsuits accuse TikTok of creating an addictive and predatory platform that is unsafe for children. Consumers describe TikTok’s platform as dangerous and addictive because its design increases engagement without regard for the risks of young adults and adolescents. 

In response, TikTok touts its safety features and parental controls, like the ability to limit app time and screen content unsuitable for children. TikTok also tries to sidestep liability by pointing to other safety measures—like flagging inappropriate content and the ability to block comments and content by keywords. However, many TikTok videos tell children how to easily bypass these parental locks and controls, which can make this feature ineffective.

Who Qualifies to File a TikTok Lawsuit?

Individuals can file lawsuits against TikTok if they can show that they (or their minor child) developed a TikTok addiction before they turned 21, and it had a serious impact on their mental health. In general, someone may have had a TikTok addiction if they used the platform compulsively for at least three hours a day. The person would also need to show that their mental health suffered because of this addiction and that they sought treatment because of it. Examples include self-harm, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. Parents and family members who have lost a child because of a social media addiction may also be able to file lawsuits.  

Eligibility Criteria to File a TikTok Lawsuit

In order to file a lawsuit against TikTok, parents or young adults must prove they used TikTok for at least 3 hours per day and developed an addiction before the age of 21. They must also have suffered from at least one of the following mental health issues:

• Depression
• Eating disorder/body dysmorphia
• Anxiety
• Self harm
• Suicidal ideation/attempts

If someone’s life was lost to suicide, surviving family members can consider filing a wrongful death claim for their loved one.

Evidence Needed to File a TikTok Mental Health Lawsuit

To file a TikTok mental health lawsuit, the person would need to prove that they or their loved one suffered from a TikTok addiction that caused them harm. Evidence they may be able to use to prove this includes the following:

• Documentation about daily TikTok usage and the number of hours they were on the platform
• Evidence of what content the person viewed and how frequently
• Medical records (such as therapist notes) explaining increased symptoms 
• Journal entries, posts, or suicide notes expressing fears, struggles, or plans of engaging in self-harm or suicidality
• Academic records showing an increase in problematic behavior or poor grades after the person developed a TikTok addiction

Additionally, the person may find evidence that they lost out on income or will lose out on earnings because of the injuries inflicted by the person’s TikTok addiction. Skilled social media lawyers can help affected consumers and parents investigate and discover key evidence they can use to prove their case and quantify their losses.

How to File a TikTok Mental Health Lawsuit

Before filing a lawsuit, the injured person (or their guardian) needs to prove that they meet the eligibility requirements to bring a claim. These include that the person developed a TikTok addiction when they were under 21 years old, used the platform for at least three hours a day, and experienced serious mental health symptoms that required treatment. Consumers should gather basic evidence to support these elements and include it in their legal complaint. At this early stage of the legal process, they would need basic details to show that they have a case, but they or their attorney can gather and use more in-depth information after they file the lawsuit. 

Consumers should file their case within the filing deadlines, called the statute of limitations. This timeframe changes based on the type of claims the person makes—negligence, strict liability, wrongful death, etc.—and in what state their case is filed. After they start their lawsuit, the person may try to negotiate an out-of-court settlement with TikTok or the other at-fault social media companies. If they cannot settle the case, they can go to trial and seek a court verdict or judgment.

7 Steps to File a TikTok Lawsuit

There are multiple steps to take when filing a lawsuit against TikTok. Parents and young adults filing a case would take these basic steps:

1. Consult with an experienced attorney: Before filing a claim you should consult with an law firm whose attorneys are experienced in mass tort litigation against large defendants. Using an experienced attorney can improve your odds of winning a case.
2. Establish eligibility: Your attorney will work with you to obtain medical and personal records to confirm your eligibility and strengthen your case.
3. Collect evidence: Once your eligibility is confirmed, your lawyer will work with you to gather evidence to support your claim. They will also work to collect evidence from professionals to support that your injuries were caused by social media addiction.
4. File the claim: Your attorney will file your case with the proper courts and necessary information. Your case may be eligible to join a multidistrict litigation against TikTok.
5. Participate in Discovery Phase and Settlement Negotiations: During discovery, attorneys on both side will share information and prepare the case for trial. Sometimes, a defendant may offer to settle before the trial.
6. Set for Trial: If a settlement cannot be negotiated, your case will be heard in court and a verdict will be issued.
7. Seek Resolution: Depending on the outcome of the case, you may receive compensation based on the settlement agreement or jury award, or you may have the opportunity to appeal an adverse decision.

Statute of Limitations in a TikTok Lawsuit

Consumers have to file their lawsuits within a specific amount of time—called the statute of limitations. This is the filing deadline to take legal action against someone. The beginning of the deadline may be a specific event—such as when the person started experiencing symptoms. Or, it might be a date—such as when someone died or the consumer turned 18.

Each state has its own rules about the timelines people need to follow when bringing a legal claim against someone. Typically, the deadline depends on what type of claim the person makes and against whom. Another factor that can impact the deadline is the age of the person bringing the claim. Minors or people alleging harm they suffered when they were minors may have additional time to file a claim. A TikTok mental health attorney can help consumers and their loved ones determine what deadlines to follow and what to do to meet those deadlines.

TikTok Mental Health Lawsuit Settlement and Payout Amounts

TikTok mental health victims or their surviving family members may receive a range of compensation if they win their case against social media companies. For example, cases filed for less-severe injuries may result in settlements of  $10,000 to more than $100,000, depending on the individual facts of the case and broader litigation trends. Cases with more severe injuries, such as the loss of a life to suicide, may result in $1.5 to $5 million in financial compensation. However, we understand the difficulties in filing a case and that no amount of money is true compensation for families who experienced such huge losses. 

The compensation for these claims depends on how swiftly the person files their lawsuit, the harm they experienced, the type of claim they file, and the strength of their case. Injuries that users and their loved ones may experience include death, self-mutilation, suicidality, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia, and childhood sexual abuse. 

If they win their cases, parents and users may receive a settlement through negotiations with the social media companies. Or, they may go to trial in front of a judge or jury and receive a courtroom verdict or judgment. Settlements can provide certainty, meaning the parents and users can negotiate and agree to exactly what they are getting in return. Trial verdicts can result in higher payouts; however, compensation is not guaranteed.

Contact a TikTok Mental Health Lawyer

If you or your loved one suffered from mental health challenges because of a TikTok addiction, the law may provide an opportunity to take a stand. Seeking a courtroom verdict or negotiated settlement cannot undo the harm, but it can be an empowering step on your journey to healing. A fair compensation package can allow you to seek support and access resources to rebuild after the trauma of an eating disorder, suicidality, self-harm, depression, or body dysmorphia brought on by TikTok’s addictive interface. 

King Law provides empowering legal solutions to children and their families who are suffering because of a social media addiction. We understand the deceptive and harmful practices TikTok and other social media companies engage in to maximize profits regardless of the human cost to our nation’s vulnerable youths. For years, we have served as a guiding and formidable force on behalf of parents and children. Reach out to our team today to schedule a no-obligation consultation to tell your story and learn about how we can help you, too.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Read frequently asked questions below and get answers about the TikTok mental health lawsuit.