Snapchat Lawsuit for Mental Health Issues and Addiction [2025 Update]

What is the Social Media Addiction Lawsuit?

The Social Media Addiction Lawsuit is a mass litigation effort addressing the harmful mental health effects associated with excessive social media use, particularly among children and teens.

Plaintiffs argue that social media companies like Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and others have designed platforms that promote addictive behaviors through algorithms, resulting in severe mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, body image issues, and social media addiction.

The lawsuit has been consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) to streamline the growing number of cases across the country.

The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) determined that because many lawsuits share common factual issues, such as the role of social media algorithms in promoting addiction, consolidation would allow for more efficient pretrial proceedings.

The MDL is being heard in federal court and involves claims that these companies not only failed to protect users but also prioritized profit over user safety.

Plaintiffs, represented by social media addiction lawyers, are seeking compensation for the emotional, psychological, and even physical harm suffered as a result of prolonged exposure to harmful content.

This MDL offers a platform for victims to hold social media giants accountable for the mental health crisis stemming from their platforms.

The Mental Health Effects of Snapchat

The rapid rise of social media has led to mounting evidence that the app known as Snapchat can have significant consequences for mental health issues among young users.

Research shows that when children and teens engage in repeated daily use, the online environment may begin to distort their perceptions of their own lives and offline life.

Features designed to encourage users to stay engaged (such as streaks, Snap Map surveillance, and “Best Friends” lists) can create a constant need for validation and social reward, making it easier to addict children to the platform.

The app’s reliance on snap scores and disappearing messages fosters compulsive checking, and the desire for instant feedback may elevate anxiety and peer-comparison rather than positive emotions.

For particularly teenagers and children, Snapchat’s visual focus (especially with Snapchat filters and beauty filters) can push unrealistic standards of beauty, a phenomenon sometimes called Snapchat dysmorphia, which ties into body-image dissatisfaction and disordered eating.

The presence of explicit content, online predators, and online predators seeking youth on the platform further adds to the risk of exposure to harmful interactions that can degrade mental health.

Research shows that social surveillance on Snapchat (such as being “left on read”) is linked with greater loneliness and depressive symptoms.

Because Snapchat shares many other platforms features (algorithmic rewards, disappearing content, incentive loops), it blurs boundaries between safe social connection and harmful compulsion.

Ultimately, while Snapchat may offer a space for peer connection, its addictive nature, dangerous features, and pressure to present a filtered version of oneself create a landscape where children and teens harmed by overuse face increased risk of anxiety, depression, and distorted self-image.

If your child has suffered from any of the following disorders due to excessive social media use or social media addictions, we are a call away:

• Body dysmorphia
• Eating disorders
• Social media addiction
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Negative Social Comparison
• Self Harm and Suicidal ideation
• Cyberbullying

Reach out to our attorneys to see if you’re eligible for a claim.

You can also use the chatbot on this page to instantly determine whether you qualify to file a social media lawsuit.

Body Dysmorphia

Social media can exacerbate body dysmorphia by presenting carefully curated images of aesthetic individuals.

This can cause users to view their bodies inaccurately, and this is even more prevalent among young women.

Snapchat was originally a photo and video-sharing chat application.

Now, it has become a social media platform that gives users access to filters, group messaging, news stories, and more.

Filters in particular enhance and alter the visual appearance of the user whenever the user takes selfies or videos.

While visual filters are meant to add a layer of aesthetics to interactions and content sharing, they may come at the expense of a user’s mental health.

The gap between enhanced and un-enhanced images might become so pronounced that users develop body image issues, otherwise called body dysmorphia.

In a published peer-reviewed 2018 study, researchers at the Boston Medical Center found body dysmorphia to be present in more than 55% of people who sought plastic surgery.

According to these individuals, they opted for surgery to appear more like the digitally-enhanced version of themselves.

Eating Disorders

When a young user develops body dysmorphia, it can lead to preoccupations with food and healthy eating.

When the preoccupation becomes obsessive, it becomes an eating disorder.

Eating disorders from using Snapchat or other social media platforms occur because of unrealistic beauty standards.

These standards can fuel body dissatisfaction.

As a result, young users may develop eating disorders.

Of the many eating disorders associated with social media use, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the most prevalent.

Social Media Addiction and Loneliness

Besides eating disorders and body image issues, Snapchat may also contribute to social media addiction.

Social media addiction is characterized by the obsessive use of social media platforms.

Addiction occurs due to new stimuli in the form of constantly changing content and a stream of social interaction.

The novelty of content causes a dopamine rush that keeps users hooked.

Platforms like Snapchat make their content both novel and addicting by catering to the preferences of their users and pushing copious amounts of notifications to the user.

Through notifications and the presence of “streaks”, where users are encouraged to use Snapchat daily to keep a “streak” of how many days they’ve messaged another user, social media addiction is also fostered.

These platforms may be fostering addiction through social media algorithms that track what content users interact with the most.

Addiction isn’t just a blow to a person’s productivity and functionality.

Because Snapchat users are usually young adults and teens, the addiction deals a more severe blow that affects emotional and mental health.

According to the American Psychological Association, the effects are much more severe for users aged 10 to 12.

These are formative years in a person’s habit-forming and social development.

When exposed to social media, young users develop the habit of constantly checking their Snapchat apps for new interactions, notifications, and how many people have viewed their “story”.

This habit can be difficult to correct, especially if it has been formed at a young age.

Also, Snapchat usage can make isolation and impersonal communication the norm for social interactions.

This sets young users up for developing feelings of isolation and loneliness.

Depression

Depression occurs from social media use and addiction because it creates a false sense of competition and comparison.

When a user sees popular influencers on their feeds, they feel unable to keep up, experiencing feelings of inferiority and hopelessness — two signs of depression.

Users can also be exposed to the “fear of missing out” through their peers using social media and posting.

Besides social comparison, the isolating feeling of interacting via a screen contributes to feelings of depression.

According to the Child Mind Institute, virtual connections are less emotionally fulfilling.

When the bulk of a young user’s interactions are online, the user develops a feeling of social isolation.

Anxiety

Snap Inc and other social media companies may also be potentially liable for causing anxiety to young users.

There are many ways the platforms of these companies contribute to adolescent and teen anxiety.

One way is by leveraging the FOMO (fear of missing out) phenomenon.

The FOMO phenomenon is a tendency for users to compulsively check for the latest content on their feeds.

Using algorithms, social media apps present the newest content at various times of the day to keep users coming back for more.

Another way social media platforms contribute to anxiety is by presenting potentially negative content.

Users may be constantly bombarded with news and information that can be upsetting or anxiety-provoking, such as images of violence, natural disasters, or political unrest.

This can lead to feelings of fear, helplessness, and dread, which can contribute to anxiety disorders.

The time spent on social media seems to be a predictor of anxiety.

According to a 2020 study, adolescents who spent more than two hours on social media daily were more likely to develop anxiety compared to users who spent less time online daily.

Low Self-Esteem Due to Negative Social Comparison

Social media also has the potential to negatively affect a person’s self-esteem.

This occurs for many reasons.

Social media tends to foster a false sense of comparison.

Consequently, individuals may experience feelings of inadequacy and inferiority.

Upon encountering posts from others projecting success, attractiveness, or popularity, individuals might perceive themselves as falling short.

These perceptions can be particularly pronounced among adolescents who are still in the process of establishing their self-identity.

Besides that, social media platforms can perpetuate unrealistic body standards.

The frequent display of images featuring models and celebrities with idealized physiques can trigger feelings of dissatisfaction with one’s own body.

These feelings can prompt engagement in unhealthy behaviors, such as disordered eating.

The resulting cycle can further compromise an individual’s self-esteem.

Self-Harm and Suicidal Ideation

Harmful social media content can be triggering to the point where it causes suicidal ideation and self-harm.

Social media can expose users to harmful content, such as images of self-harm or suicide.

This can be triggering for people who are already struggling with mental health problems.

Another way social media triggers self-harm and suicidal thoughts is by bombarding users with content that prompts social comparison and by becoming a breeding ground for cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying and harmful content can overwhelm young users and drive them to self-harm, especially if they are already suffering from anxiety or depression.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is another issue arising from social media use.

It can occur across any social media platform, making it tough to evade.

Through social media, cyberbullies can spread rumors, post embarrassing photos or videos, and send hurtful or threatening messages.

As a result, those targeted often grapple with feelings of isolation, fear, and depression.

In tragic instances, victims even contemplate suicide as the bullying begins to take a toll on their mental well-being.

Who Are the Defendants in the Social Media Mental Health Lawsuits?

The social media mental health lawsuits name several major tech companies as defendants, each accused of designing products that exploit psychological vulnerabilities in young people and teen users.

Plaintiffs claim these companies created features that deceive users into believing they are gaining social connection and validation, while actually promoting addiction, anxiety, and distorted perceptions of real life.

These lawsuits argue that the platforms failed to provide users with adequate mental health resources or warnings about the potential risks associated with their apps.

Instead, their algorithms allegedly offer a false sense of belonging while exposing minors to harmful other forms of influence, including drug use, explicit content, and pressure to alter appearance.

Some experts, including plastic surgeons, have linked the use of filters and beauty-enhancement features to rising rates of body dysmorphia among young people.

Attorneys argue that app’s safety promises were misleading and that the companies prioritized engagement and profit over the well-being of children.

Although not everyone experiences harm from social media, the lawsuits contend that the risks for minors far outweigh the benefits when these products are intentionally designed to promote dependency.

The defendants named in the ongoing litigation include:

• Meta Platforms, Inc. — parent company of Facebook and Instagram, accused of targeting young users with addictive algorithms and unrealistic social comparisons.
• Snap Inc. — creator of Snapchat, alleged to exploit teens through disappearing messages, filters, and features that encourage compulsive use.
• ByteDance Ltd. — parent company of TikTok, accused of prioritizing engagement over safety and exposing children to harmful trends and content.
• Google LLC and YouTube, LLC. — charged with promoting harmful video content and failing to protect minors despite knowledge of widespread addiction and exposure risks.

We are here to help victims attempt to recover compensation for the negative impact these companies have had on your child.

Contact us at TorHoerman Law now to find out if you qualify for a claim.

You can also use the chatbot on this page to determine your eligibility instantly.

TorHoerman Law: Your Social Media Addiction Lawyers

Our attorneys are speaking to potential new clients daily and accepting claims for social media lawsuits in all 50 states.

We recognize the devastating impact social media addiction and related mental health problems can have on children and their family members, and we are here to help you take action and make sure these companies are held accountable.

If your child has experienced issues like social media addiction or other mental health concerns stemming from their use of Snapchat and other social media platforms, you may be eligible to file a social media mental health lawsuit.

Contact TorHoerman Law for a free consultation.

You can also use the chatbot on this page to find out if you qualify for the Snapchat social media lawsuit instantly.

At TorHoerman Law, our legal team is actively examining litigation options against social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook.