Research increasingly shows that social media exposure can present significant risks to a person’s emotional and mental wellbeing, and this is especially observable in children. Even minimal time spent on popular social media apps can expose children to bullying or false medical or scientific information, and it may also reinforce negative thought patterns. It can both create mental health problems and make existing problems worse.
While safety starts in the home, and parents should absolutely monitor and engage in conversation about the media their children consume, more and more people now believe that the social media platforms themselves should be held legally liable for harm caused. But can they? Are social media platforms liable for damage caused to children? If you believe your child has been harmed by social media exposure, can you sue them? Can you sue Facebook? Or TikTok?
Rusty Reynolds was honored to be invited to speak with Jordan Brown of The Run Down with Jordan Brown on this very topic. Jordan and Rusty first dig into the very real threat of social media exposure for children. The conversation then turns to the topic of legal liability for the social media platforms. Unsurprisingly, it’s not a cut and dry answer. Social media platforms are able to fracture the perception of liability by their sheer scale and complexity. They can question who, ultimately, is expected to be at fault: the platform owner, the web host, the designers who built the toxic algorithms? This creates an enormous burden of proof upon anyone bringing suit.
That said, as Rusty explains, juries all over the country are increasingly deciding against the social media platforms as more and more liability cases make it to trial. This is a real moment, and Rusty encourages parents and anyone concerned about the harms that social media may cause in the lives of children to reach out to their state and national representatives and push for stronger regulation for platforms with a focus on holding them legally accountable for what they do.
You can watch the full in-depth interview below. Our thanks to Jordan Brown and the entire team at The Run Down for having Rusty on to discuss this important matter with their viewers.
Rusty Reynolds is an attorney based in Frisco, TX with over 25 years experience representing those who have experienced injury and harm due to the actions of corporations. He specializes in and has become a trusted expert in the field of Personal Injury, Auto Accidents, and Medical Malpractice.