Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice
Abstract
The note argues that social media companies should be held accountable for their role in the youth mental health crisis through the legal framework of public nuisance law. Drawing parallels to successful cases against tobacco and opioid companies, the author contends that social media platforms, by prioritizing profits over user well-being, contribute to widespread harm such as anxiety, depression, and suicide among youth. While acknowledging concerns about judicial overreach and the challenges of proving causation, the note advocates for judicial intervention as a necessary corrective in the absence of effective legislative action.
Disciplines
Antitrust and Trade Regulation | Communications Law | Consumer Protection Law | Election Law | Intellectual Property Law | Law | Science and Technology Law
Recommended Citation
Charles Bachmann,
A Wrong in Search of a Duty: Public Nuisance, Social Media and the Youth Mental Health Crisis,
31
Cardozo J. Equal Rts. & Soc. Just.
249
(2024).
Available at:
https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/cardozoersj/vol31/iss1/9
Included in
Antitrust and Trade Regulation Commons, Communications Law Commons, Consumer Protection Law Commons, Election Law Commons, Intellectual Property Law Commons, Science and Technology Law Commons