Families of Four Teens File Suit Against Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube Over Suicide Claims

Four grieving families have brought a civil action against Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube in the Superior Court of Delaware, asserting that the companies’ platforms fostered addiction and mental-health decline that led to their teens’ suicides. The victims—Livi Castro (13), Riv Kelleher (14), Nathaniel Chambers (17) and Dawson Holden (18)—experienced severe sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation after years of use.

The suit, filed by the Social Media Victims Law Center and its founder Matthew Bergman, emphasizes that the deaths occurred long after earlier similar lawsuits were filed, suggesting ongoing corporate negligence. Executives from the four firms have not yet commented. The case adds pressure on Congress, where the Kids Online Safety Act has stalled, and follows other state and federal actions targeting the same companies for alleged contributions to a youth mental-health crisis. Recent disclosures show Meta’s legal costs rose sharply, reflecting the growing financial burden of such litigation.