Case guide
Check the Instagram records and your child’s health history. Research about youth does not prove what caused one child’s illness.
Updated Oct 4, 202611 sources
See If You Qualify
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Updated Oct 4, 202611 sources
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Kira E. Riehm · Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health · Lead author of the 2019 cohort study
Finding: The 2019 study linked more reported social media time with later reports of inward distress, alone or alongside behavior problems.
Associations Between Time Spent Using Social Media and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems Among US Youth (opens in a new tab) · Sep 11, 2019 · Checked Oct 3, 2026
California Department of Justice · Issuer of the August 2026 settlement announcement
Finding: The announcement describes a proposed agreement in the states’ case, with court approval still required in that announcement.
California DOJ: proposed Meta settlement, August 26, 2026 (opens in a new tab) · Aug 26, 2026 · Checked Oct 3, 2026
Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health · JAMA Psychiatry · 2019
Read the source: Associations Between Time Spent Using Social Media and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems Among US Youth (opens in a new tab) · Checked Oct 3, 2026
Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services · 2023
Read the source: Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory (opens in a new tab) · Checked Oct 3, 2026
The process
You answer a few questions
About two minutes. Nothing is sent until you agree on the last step and press submit.
A lawyer looks at it
A lawyer at the firm reads your answers and checks them against the current case criteria.
The firm decides and gets in touch
If the firm takes your case, you get the terms in writing to read before you sign. You can always say no.
The states claim that Instagram and Facebook features harmed young users. That claim is not proof of what caused your child’s illness.
California’s announcement describes alleged harmful design and misleading safety statements. It does not diagnose your child. Start with the account and content your child actually used. Ask which parts of the complaint match those facts and which do not.
Youth research can show links between use and distress. It cannot decide whether Instagram caused harm to one child.
The 2019 youth study used self-reported time and symptoms. It was not a test of Instagram’s filters or a clinical diagnosis. Other factors could explain part of the link. Ask a care provider to assess your child’s full history rather than treating an app name as a diagnosis.
Write down the account names, use dates and content you want checked. Keep the health and school records you already have.
Create separate notes for what you saw and what your child told you. Ask a lawyer how to preserve account records and any missing messages. A civil claim uses evidence about the harm and alleged cause; avoid editing screenshots or guessing dates.
Seek help when distress lasts for weeks or disrupts daily life. If your child talks about hurting themselves or someone else, seek help at once.
Tell a health provider about sleep, school, friendships and other stresses as well as Instagram use. An evaluation can consider past treatment and information from school. In a mental-health crisis call or text 988; for a life-threatening situation call 911.
The August 2026 announcement describes a proposed agreement in the states’ case. It does not set your child’s payment.
Ask which legal action a notice concerns and whether it is an agreement with your family. The announcement said approval by the court was needed. Have a lawyer check later orders and any separate claim before you rely on a news headline.
Ask who pays to get the account and health records for an Instagram claim. Get the firm’s fee terms in writing before you agree.
Ask about charges for medical records, account information and court filing. Ask how case expenses differ from the lawyer’s fee and what you would owe if the case loses. Keep the written terms with the firm’s name so you can check what help you agreed to.
Keep the dates of account use, symptoms and care together. Ask a lawyer which dates and law matter for filing.
Make separate entries for when Instagram use began, when concerns arose and when you sought help. Mark dates you cannot confirm. Ask the lawyer what records are needed next, whether the firm has agreed to represent you and who will explain any filing deadline.
Teens spending 3+ hours daily on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms
Rates of teen depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide increased sharply beginning in 2012 — coinciding with widespread smartphone and social media adoption
Habitual social media checking in early adolescence is associated with changes in brain sensitivity to social feedback over time
The review is free and private. Asking for it doesn’t commit you to anything.
Ask a law firm to review your caseYes. Meta's own internal research, disclosed in the Facebook Papers, showed that the company knew Instagram made body image issues worse for 32% of teen girls, that teens blamed Instagram for increases in anxiety and depression, and that 13.5% of UK teen girls reported Instagram made suicidal thoughts more frequent. Despite this knowledge, Meta suppressed the research, continued to design Instagram for maximum engagement, and accelerated development of Instagram Kids targeting children under 13. This evidence of actual knowledge and deliberate disregard for harm is central to the litigation and supports claims for punitive damages.
The advisory does not say Instagram beauty filters cause harm to teenagers. It says social media may perpetuate body dissatisfaction, disordered eating behaviors, social comparison, and low self-esteem, especially among adolescent girls. Ask a qualified medical provider about a teenager's symptoms.
Source: U.S. Surgeon General: Social Media and Youth Mental Health Advisory · as of Oct 7, 2026
Not from the advisory alone. It discusses research connecting social media use with body image concerns and eating disorders. Legal eligibility depends on the facts, records, and law that applies.
Source: U.S. Surgeon General: Social Media and Youth Mental Health Advisory · as of Oct 7, 2026
Checked against 11 primary sources by People's Justice editors · Updated
How we make moneyPeople's Justice research team · Updated Oct 4, 2026