The video-sharing Social Media platform TikTok has amassed over one billion users as of 2018, with around 63% of users being teenagers. The app shares lifestyle, art, and education content.

While it seems innocent, parents and critics alike have found issues with TikTok because of its usage of filters and addictive nature. This is because they see a connection between the mental health crisis among teens and the increase in teen involvement in social media. 

This was the basis of the 14 lawsuits against TikTok. On October 8, 2024, 14 attorney generals led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed suits on the basis of misleading information, public safety, and the harm to young people’s mental health.

Concerning public safety, the suits allege that TikTok promotes challenges of dangerous natures that have led to hospitalization or death. Along with this, they claim that TikTok has worsened the teen mental health crisis, as it promotes unrealistic body standards through its beauty filter. The suits also allege that TikTok’s growing profit has been because of ads targeting young people which cause teens to get addicted to the app. The same can be said about their 24-hour notifications and constant mental stimulation. 

The spokesperson for TikTok, Alex Haurek, disputed these claims, stating that TikTok has implemented methods of monitoring screen time through TikTok-prompted videos that urge users to stop scrolling. He also says that the app is committed to removing accounts of anyone under the approved age. 

All in all, the app can promote good, but the lawsuits beg the question of how beneficial it is. It also questions how much governments should be involved in social media apps and how they should manage the growing mental health challenges.