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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline FEBRUARY 23, 2024 | The Indian Eye 18

Mayor Adams Announces Lawsuit

Against Social Media Companies Fueling

Nationwide Youth Mental Health Crisis

Adams Administration Files Lawsuit to Hold TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and

YouTube Accountable for Their Platforms’ Damaging Influence on Mental Health of Children

OUR BUREAU

NEW YORK, NY
ew York City Mayor Eric
Adams, New York City Cor-
Nporation Counsel Sylvia O.
Hinds Radix, New York City Depart-
ment of Health and Mental Hygiene
(DOHMH) Commissioner Dr. Ash-
win Vasan, NYC Health + Hospitals
(NYC H+H) President Dr. Michell
Katz, and New York City Department
of Education (DOE) Chancellor Da-
vid C. Banks today announced the fil-
ing of a lawsuit to hold five social me-
dia platforms — TikTok, Instagram,
Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube
— accountable for fueling the nation-
wide youth mental health crisis.
The city is joining hundreds of
school districts from across the coun-
try in filing litigation seeking to force
tech giants to change their behavior
and to recover the costs of address-
ing this public health threat. The
city spends more than $100 million
on youth mental health programs
and services each year. To help ad-
dress this ongoing crisis and the harm
caused by these platforms, Mayor Ad- until the age of 14. fueling a national youth mental health and this lawsuit is the latest example
ams also today released a social media “Over the past decade, we have crisis,” said Corporation Counsel of our city’s commitment to ensure
action plan, “New York City’s Role in seen just how addictive and over- Hinds-Radix. “These companies have young people are safe from the im-
the National Crisis of Social Media whelming the online world can be, chosen profit over the wellbeing of chil- pacts of social media on mental health
and Youth Mental Health: Frame- exposing our children to a non-stop dren by intentionally designing their and wellbeing. The laissez-faire days
work for Action, to hold social media stream of harmful content and fuel- platforms with manipulative and addic- for tech giants must end and expect-
companies accountable, provide ed- ing our national youth mental health tive features and using harmful algo- ing them to self-regulate is naïve. As
ucation and support to young people crisis,” said Mayor Adams. “Our city rithms targeted to young people. Social a parent and as the city’s doctor, to
and families, and study the long-term is built on innovation and technology, media companies should be held ac- protect the public’s health, we will
impacts of social media on youth. but many social media platforms end countable for this misconduct and for not remain idle while these platforms
Today’s announcement builds on up endangering our children’s men- the harms they cause to our children, damage the health of our children.”
the Health Commissioner’s Adviso- tal health, promoting addiction, and schools, and entire communities.” The Adams administration
ry that DOHMH Commissioner Dr. encouraging unsafe behavior. Today, “Social media is a toxin in our has taken repeated action to tackle
Vasan issued last month, identifying we’re taking bold action on behalf of digital environment, like lead, air pol- the youth mental health crisis. Last
unfettered access to and use of social millions of New Yorkers to hold these lution, and nicotine are in our physical year, Mayor Adams announced that
media as a public health hazard, just companies accountable for their role one,” said DOHMH Commissioner the city launched TeenSpace, a free
as past U.S. surgeons general have in this crisis, and we’re building on Dr. Vasan. “Environmental toxins tele-mental health service available to
done with tobacco and firearms. The our work to address this public health require regulation, control, and mit- all New York City teenagers, between
advisory provides recommendations hazard. This lawsuit and action plan igation, and public health must build the ages of 13 and 17 years old, that
to parents and caregivers, health care are part of a larger reckoning that will on its environmental health legacy to allows teenagers to connect with a li-
providers, educators, and policymak- shape the lives of our young people, our address this modern threat. New York censed therapist through phone, vid-
ers on actions that can be taken to city, and our society for years to come.” City is employing a wide array of tools eo, and text. In the three months of
protect children, including the recom- “Social media companies like Tik- to fight back, including education and operation, TeenSpace has served over
mendation to delay social media use Tok, Snapchat, YouTube, and Meta are awareness, research, and regulation, 2,000 youth across the five boroughs.

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