(NewsNation) — Over two dozen states have signed a lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, alleging that the social media giant is contributing to a mental health crisis in young people.  

“These platforms have damaged a generation. It’s caused problems such as depression, anxiety, suicidal ideations,” said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul who is representing one of the 33 agencies in the lawsuit in an interview on “NewsNation Prime.” 

The lawsuit claims that Meta deliberately misled the public about the dangers of its platforms and has knowingly induced children and teenagers into addictive and compulsive social media use.

Raoul said Meta’s platforms promote dopamine-manipulating algorithms, likes, social comparisons, and addictive alerts, disrupting young people’s lives and causing issues like sleep deprivation, body dysmorphia, and cyberbullying. 

“They have led out research that tends to suggest that they are not harmful while concealing research that shows the opposite,” Raoul said. 

Raoul highlighted the damage inflicted on the younger generation, citing statistics revealing high daily usage among young users.  

The lawsuit aims to stop harmful business practices and compel Meta to prioritize safety by default in its app features, rather than optional safety tools. 

In response, Meta claims to be working on providing a safer environment for teenagers, but Raoul emphasizes the need for fundamental changes, highlighting Meta’s alleged concealment of research showing harm to young users. 

“If they really want to employ tools to keep kids safe, put features in there that prevent the addictive nature of these programs,” Raoul said.