TikTok Under Fire: 14 Attorneys General Sue Over Children’s Mental Health Crisis

TikTok, one of the world’s most popular social media platforms, is facing a major legal battle in the U.S. A coalition of 14 state attorneys general has filed lawsuits accusing the company of contributing to a mental health crisis among children and adolescents. These lawsuits argue that TikTok’s addictive design, tailored content algorithms, and lax age verification practices are harming young users’ mental well-being, fueling anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders.

The Accusations: A Dangerous Digital Playground for Kids

The lawsuits claim TikTok employs features that keep children glued to their screens, such as "endless scrolling" and frequent push notifications. These features, the attorneys general argue, exploit the still-developing brains of young users, encouraging extended usage and increasing the risk of mental health issues. Critics highlight TikTok’s "age-gating" process, where underage users can easily bypass restrictions by simply entering false birth dates, giving them access to potentially harmful content.