Lawsuit Alleges TikTok Causes Mental Health Problems for Young Users

First lawsuit over teen social media addiction is set for trial to begin next month in California state court, with federal trials beginning next summer.

A new lawsuit has been filed against the makers of TikTok, which claims the company knowingly engineered the app to be addictive for children, placing them at risk of serious mental health problems as part of a strategy designed to increase profit.

The complaint (PDF) was announced in a press release issued by Hawaii Attorney General Annie Lopez and Governor Josh Green on December 3, joining a long list of states who have filed social media addiction lawsuits against some of the most frequently used apps on the internet, such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. 

State officials say many of the 150 million children who use TikTok worldwide are in Hawaii and have suffered harm from what they describe as deliberate exploitation by app developer, ByteDance.

Companies like ByteDance, Google and Meta already face nearly 2,200 social media addiction lawsuits filed in courts nationwide, including claims brought by families, school districts and state governments, each raising similar allegations that the platforms are deliberately designed to maximize user engagement through data-drive algorithms that encourage compulsive use, which is particularly effective among children and teens.

Most claims come from individual families seeking compensation for harms such as anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation. However, school districts and state governments, including Hawaii, have also filed lawsuits seeking reimbursement for the rising costs of addressing a youth mental health crisis fueled by social media addiction. These expenses include counseling programs, crisis intervention efforts and expanded special education services.

In the federal court system, all of the lawsuits over social media mental health problems have been centralized as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the Northern District of California under U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers for pretrial proceedings and coordinated discovery. 

However, parallel proceedings are also underway in California state court, where Judge Carolyn Kuhl is presiding over a separate consolidation of similar claims.

The Hawaiian complaint was filed in the state’s First Circuit Court, naming ByteDance Inc, TikTok Inc., TikTok Ltd and ByteDance Ltd as defendants. State officials accuse ByteDance of intentionally inflicting mental health problems on the state’s children.

“The mental health and wellbeing of our keiki (children) must come first. Tiktok’s design preys on their vulnerabilities, creating an environment where addiction and anxiety thrive. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to protect our youth from platforms that prioritize profit over their health.”

– Hawaii Governor Josh Green

State officials note that TikTok has already been sued twice by the U.S. government for violating children’s online privacy. They say the company continues to misrepresent the safety of the platform and fails to warn parents and children of the potential mental health risks.

The lawsuit also accuses the company of failing to maintain adequate age verification and child protection systems. In addition, officials claim TikTok encourages youths to engage in risky behaviors such as “challenges” that may put them physically at risk.

The state presents claims of deceptive acts or practices and unfair acts or practices. Hawaii seeks both compensatory and punitive damages.

Teen Social Media Addiction Lawsuits

In federal court, Judge Rodgers has scheduled the first teen social media addiction lawsuit bellwether trials to begin in the summer of 2026 involving claims by school districts that say they have had to pay for mental health treatment, tutoring and other expenses to address the social media addiction epidemic. These bellwether trials will give the parties an opportunity to see how juries respond to evidence and testimony regarding social media allegations, which are likely to be repeated throughout the litigation.

However, before the federal trials begin, a similar consolidation of state claims is occurring in California Superior Court under Judge Carolyn Kuhl. The first California state trial is scheduled to begin on January 27, 2026, involving claims by a plaintiff identified only as K.G.M.

The early trials will be monitored for the strength or weaknesses of arguments on both sides. Outcomes may help determine the size of social media lawsuit payouts if a settlement agreement is reached.

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