by Nicole Wells at Newsmax
Claiming that their daughter developed an Instagram addiction as a minor that led to an eating disorder and suicidal ideation, a now 19-year-old woman and her parents are suing Meta for past and present medical expenses and future loss of income.
Kathleen and Jeff Spence detail how their daughter Alexis began using Instagram at age 11 and became obsessed with her appearance and the perception of others in a lawsuit filed Monday by the Social Media Victims Law Center on behalf of the family in the U.S. District Court for Northern District of California.
The platform’s required age for use is 13.
In the complaint, the family claims that Alexis’ addiction to Instagram was the catalyst for “addiction, anxiety, depression, self-harm, eating disorders, and, ultimately, suicidal ideation.”
The Spences also claim they were “emotionally and financially harmed by Meta’s addictive design,” and are seeking monetary damages for “past and present” medical expenses, as well as “future loss of income.”
The family is being represented by Matthew Bergman, a lawyer who filed a separate social media lawsuit in February on behalf of a mother who claims the “negligence” of the companies’ products led to her daughter’s suicide.
“We’re all in favor of parental responsibility,” Bergman told USA Today. “This family did everything they’re supposed to do with parental guards on products, but the nature of Instagram is they’re designed to avoid parental authority…
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