In the filing, Arkansas stated that YouTube’s design strategy seems to prioritise keeping young users engaged through content that triggers dopamine hits, leading to addiction. According to the lawsuit, this strategy aligns with a troubling rise in youth mental health issues
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Arkansas has launched a lawsuit against YouTube and its parent company, Alphabet, accusing the video-sharing platform of contributing to a growing mental health crisis among young people in the state. The state claims that YouTube has been intentionally designed to be addictive, leading to what some have described as “brain-rot” in its younger audience.
The lawsuit, filed by Attorney General Tim Griffin’s office, alleges that YouTube violates Arkansas’ deceptive trade practices and public nuisance laws. It argues that the platform’s addictive nature has burdened the state by increasing the demand for mental health services among the youth. The state believes millions of dollars have been spent trying to manage this mental health fallout.
In the filing, it was stated that YouTube’s design strategy seems to prioritise keeping young users engaged through content that triggers dopamine hits, leading to addiction. According to the lawsuit, this strategy aligns with a troubling rise in youth mental health issues, which seems to have grown alongside the popularity of social media platforms, particularly YouTube.
Alphabet’s Google, which oversees YouTube, has denied these claims, defending its approach. The company emphasised that they have consistently prioritised the safety and well-being of young users. They said efforts have been made to work with experts in mental health and child development to create appropriate guidelines and controls for younger users. Google’s spokesperson firmly rejected the allegations as being unfounded.
YouTube has specific measures in place that are supposed to ensure parental involvement for users under the age of 17. However, there are loopholes, as the platform can still be accessed without an account, allowing children to bypass age restrictions.
This legal action comes as part of a broader movement by both state and federal officials to tackle the negative effects of social media on younger users. Earlier this year, the U.S. Surgeon General urged lawmakers to enforce warning labels on social media, similar to those found on cigarette packets, highlighting the risks these platforms pose to young people.
Arkansas has already filed similar lawsuits against TikTok and Facebook’s parent company Meta. These lawsuits focus on claims that these platforms have misled the public about the safety of their environments for children and the protection of user data. As these cases are still being reviewed by the courts, the new case against YouTube adds another chapter to the ongoing struggle between social media giants and state authorities.
Interestingly, Arkansas had also introduced a law requiring parental consent for minors to create new social media accounts. However, this law has been blocked by a federal judge, leaving the issue of social media safety for minors unresolved.
Platforms like YouTube and TikTok remain some of the most popular among children and teens. However, both have faced criticism for hosting and sometimes promoting videos linked to dangerous behaviours, such as violence, eating disorders, and self-harm. In response to growing scrutiny, YouTube has adjusted its policies, particularly concerning firearm-related videos, restricting certain content to users over 18.
The lawsuit also accuses YouTube’s algorithms of pushing inappropriate adult content onto young users and contributing to the spread of child exploitation material. While the lawsuit doesn’t specify a monetary figure for damages, it seeks to compel YouTube to fund prevention, education, and treatment programmes aimed at addressing excessive social media use.
The case reflects an ongoing debate about the responsibility of social media platforms in safeguarding young users and the challenges of regulating an online space that is deeply embedded in everyday life.