Parents in the US are suing Instagram and Snapchat for the mental health struggles of their children

At about the time her daughter reached the age of 12, American health executive Laurie saw her once confident, happy child turning into someone she barely recognised. At first, she thought a bad case of adolescent angst was to blame.Initially, her daughter had trouble sleeping and grappled with episodes of self-loathing and anxiety, but by the time she was 14, she had started cutting herself and was having suicidal thoughts.Without Laurie knowing, she had been sneaking away her confiscated smartphone and spending hours online at night, trawling through posts about self-harm and eating disorders on social media platforms.“One day she said to me: ‘Mom, I’m going to hurt myself badly if I don’t get help,’” Laurie said as she described the mental health crises that have plagued her daughter for the last two years, disrupting her education and devastating the family’s finances.A woman and her daughter look over a row of houses, where a sign reads FOR SALE: SOLD, in this illustration photo. Credit: Tereza Astilean/Thomson Reuters FoundationShe asked to use only her first name in order to protect the identity of her daughter.Paying for her daughter’s care – therapists, a psychiatrist, and multiple residential treatment facilities across the country
Read More