Social media and its impact on the mental health of users has always been an issue over which experts and tech companies have differed. Social media has given a platform for everyone to highlight their life in the best of the light. However, this can also add a mental pressure on youngsters about a false image of a healthy lifestyle being promoted on the internet.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram has been sued for allegedly ignoring and disregarding concerns around user mental health. Mark Zuckerberg is facing this lawsuit which claims that the company ‘dismissed concerns’ around the effect of Instagram filters on users.
In 2019, the head of the policy at Instagram approached the apex authority in the company to address the issue related to filters. They demanded the company to disable the ‘plastic surgery simulation camera filters’. However, Zuckerberg allowed the filters to remain in use citing high demand.
Zuckerberg said that the demand suggests the internal report must not be true and they didn’t have enough data to claim its validity. The lawsuit alleges Meta of dismissing its own internal research over the harmful and addictive nature of the platform.
This lawsuit cares particularly about the mental health of young users who are considered the most vulnerable on the internet. Now there are 42 states in the United States which have filed lawsuits against the tech giants from silicon valley.
