In a development that could prove historic, two landmark judgments in the US held social media giants Meta and Google liable for hundreds of millions of dollars in damages for psychological harm caused to young users of their platforms. It was a ruling long anticipated by parents, educators and mental health professionals—and one that is certain to open a hornet’s nest of litigation across the world.
The implications are profound. Social media has become ubiquitous across societies, and nowhere more so than among younger generations. Gen Z has grown up in a digital ecosystem where social validation, entertainment and identity formation are closely intertwined with screens. Over the past decade, studies have steadily accumulated linking excessive social media engagement to rising levels of depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges among young adults.
The numbers are worrying. Globally, young people now spend an average of about 4.5 hours daily on social media platforms. Usage varies widely—from roughly 1.5 hours a day in Japan to nearly 4.8 hours in the US—while India averages close to four hours daily. For context, a recent Gallup poll shows that those limiting usage to under one hour a day report the highest levels of wellbeing.
What has strengthened the legal cases against social media companies is mounting evidence that their algorithms were deliberately engineered to maximise engagement—even at the cost of mental health. Much like gambling, smoking or drugs, these platforms exploit neural pathways and reward mechanisms in the brain, encouraging repeated interaction through notifications, endless scrolling and personalised content streams. Increasingly, addiction appears not to be an unintended side effect but an embedded feature.
It is only in recent years that younger users have begun to acknowledge this phenomenon. As they transition into adulthood and confront real-world responsibilities, many are recognising the hidden costs of digital overexposure.
What they are discovering now, however, is something parents have sensed for years. For many families, managing children’s screen time has been a daily struggle.
Parental activism has begun to shift the narrative. More than a dozen countries have enacted legislation restricting social media access for children and early teens, placing responsibility squarely on platforms to enforce age limits and safeguards. These measures reflect a growing global consensus that voluntary self-regulation by technology companies has fallen short.
In India, this issue has gathered momentum. Last year, after consultations with activists and concerned parents, I introduced what was India’s first proposed legislation along similar lines, as a private member’s bill in the Lok Sabha. Unfortunately, despite being listed for introduction on three occasions, proceedings were disrupted each time—a grim reminder of dysfunction in our Parliament.
Encouragingly, the broader movement has not stalled. The Union government has signalled its intent to introduce regulatory measures, while some state governments have begun piloting restrictions of their own. Several members of Parliament have also indicated their intent to introduce or support similar legislation.
The urgency is unmistakable. Among Indians, aged 15 to 29, mobile internet access is nearly universal. Social media users in India are fast approaching 500 million, with roughly one in three below the age of 18. For many of them, exposure to addictive digital environments has already had measurable consequences.
Whether through legislation or litigation, accountability now seems inevitable. Even without new laws, it is only a matter of time before parents, activists or affected users initiate successful lawsuits against social media platforms—potentially triggering many more.
The national conversation on this issue is still at a relatively early stage—and it is bound to intensify.
Stay tuned.
Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda is National Vice President of the BJP and is an MP in the Lok Sabha.