An American mother is suing Meta - the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, and Snap - the company behind Snapchat, claiming they are responsible for the tragic death of her 11-year-old daughter, who committed suicide last year.
The mother, Tammy Rodriguez, argues that her daughter, Selena, "suffered from an extreme addiction" to Instagram and Snapchat, and fell victim to the "destructive" features and effects of these platforms.
Although Mrs. Rodriguez often used to confiscate her daughter's online devices to reduce her use time, Selena would run away from home to connect to social networks through friends' devices.
It was further stated that Selena, who took her life on July 21, 2021, received psychological treatment, but to no avail.
When the corona plague broke out, the young girl suffered from depression and had difficulty sleeping - symptoms that only worsened as she stayed at home and relieved the boredom in the apps.
Zuckerberg at the time of the announcement of "Meta", Photo: EP
At one point, Selena shared sexual content online, and screenshots documenting the sharing were circulated by her classmates.
This case caused another serious deterioration in her mental state, and eventually led to her suicide.
According to the lawsuit, the two media giants "knowingly develop and market products that harm a significant number of their minor users, but refrain from providing effective protection tools from the damage done to the digital spaces they own."
In recent months, social networking powers, most notably Meta, have come under heavy criticism for the negative impact of apps on children and teens.
Moreover, company executives are blamed for their inability - or unwillingness - to address the problem.
The climax occurred in November 2021, when a former Facebook employee named Frances Hagen admitted to U.S. lawmakers that the company is aware that its products harm children, but does not try to change the situation "because astronomical profits are more important than people."
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