Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
Social media giant TikTok is being sued by the state of Utah. The state contends that the social media platform is damaging children. It is applying research showing that children are twice as likely to become depressed and suffer other mental health disorders if they are on social media for more than three hours daily.
In March, Utah was the first U.S. state to pass legislation limiting minors’ use and social media access. The law will become effective in 2024. In terms of TikTok specifically, Utah’s Attorney General Reyes claims that the platform intentionally “hooks” children by using algorithms to provide endless content that is very addictive for children. Six other U.S. states are planning to file similar suits, while Montana passed a law to ban TikTok in their state. The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether states can regulate social media platforms.
