Due to digital addiction and mental health problems, the TikTok application is under pressure from the American judiciary

In the midst of the rapid digital transformation, social media applications have become a necessity in the lives of children and adolescents, affecting their patterns of communication, learning, and entertainment, and shaping their awareness. However, the widespread presence of these applications has opened the door to questions about the effects of digital addiction and its psychological repercussions. These are questions that push us to consider the extent to which the third goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been achieved: good health and well-being.

Because of these health and psychological effects, the controversy over social media applications – especially the TikTok application – has extended to the courts and regulatory bodies, with mounting demands to redraw the limits of corporate responsibility.Technology, and developing more stringent frameworks to protect children and others from the potential effects of digital addiction, achieving a balance between technical innovation and preserving human health and well-being.

Therefore, The Earth Guards Foundation highlights in this article – Due to digital addiction and mental health problems, the TikTok application is under pressure from the American judiciary – on the dimensions of the judicial settlement that the TikTok application concluded with a number of American teenagers, and the continuation of lawsuits against companies. other technology; So keep reading.

TikTok avoids trial Judicial

In this context, the TikTok application reached a legal settlement with three teenagers who filed suits against it, in which they were accusedThe application and a number of other social media applications are designed in a way that promotes addiction and harms young users health-wise and psychologically.

The lawyer for the three plaintiffs, Joseph VanZandt, explained that the details of the settlements for TikTok are still confidential and subject to finalization, while judicial proceedings continue against Meta Company, which owns Facebook, Google, which owns YouTube, and Snap, which owns the Snapchat application, with a date set for a new trial during next October.

Thousands of lawsuits redefine digital liability

These cases are part of 3,300 lawsuits filed before the Supreme Court in Los Angeles, California, in which social media applications are accused of developing design features that make their useAddictive, which negatively affects the health of children and adolescents.

The cases included a 15-year-old girl from Illinois, who said that the use of these applications led to self-harm, and the emergence of anxiety, depression, and eating disorders, in addition to another teenager from New Jersey who accused the applications of causing digital addiction, and an 18-year-old young man from Mississippi who said that the extensive use of the applications caused him severe anxiety and depression.

Although TikTok was released from the charge of digital addiction through the settlement, the lawsuits filed against other companies are still continuing, when all of them deny the accusations, stressing that they provide tools for parental control, managing usage time, and enhancing the safety of young users.

“Digital distancing “ Against “digital addiction”

On the other hand, these judicial developments coincide with a noticeable change in users’ behavior. An increasing number of Generation Z individuals tend to buy simple phones that do not support applications such as Tik Tok and Instagram. This is an attempt by them to limit excessive use of screens and restore the balance between digital and real life.

Prominent tech figures reconsider

The shift towards reducing the use of social media applications also extended to some of the most prominent figures in the technology sector. Sam Altman, “President of Open AI,” revealed that he deleted the TikTok application from his phone, explaining that the decision came as part of his attempts to reduce sources of digital distraction and manage his attention.Even better, in light of the growing global debate about the impact of applications based on attention-grabbing algorithms on individuals’ productivity and mental health.

In conclusion, the truth seems more complex; Because the charge of digital addiction facing Tik Tok – and other social media applications – needs to be addressed radically. Because they are issues in which psychological, social, technical and economic factors are intertwined.

Therefore, the next stage, according to the vision of The Earth Guards Foundation, will depend on real investment in building awareness, strengthening partnerships, and consolidating a culture of shared responsibility; Because they are guarantees for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a comprehensive and equitable manner.