US courts prepare for wave of lawsuits against social media giants over youth mental health

Thousands of lawsuits accuse social media companies of designing addictive platforms that harm youth mental health. The litigation involves claims against Meta, Snap, ByteDance, and Alphabet, with consolidated cases alleging intentional design leading to depression, anxiety, and self-harm. The first bellwether trial is scheduled for January, potentially leading to multibillion-dollar settlements and changes in how minors interact with social media.