As concern grows over social media, U.S.

lawsuits stack up
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Surge in mental health problems worst among girls
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Lawyers zone in on algorithm designs, whistleblower leaks
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Others see platforms as scapegoat for society's woes
By Avi Asher-Schapiro
LOS ANGELES, Feb 8 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - At about the time her daughter reached the age of 12, American health executive Laurie saw her once confident, happy child turning into someone she barely recognized.

At first, she thought a bad case of adolescent angst was to blame.
Initially, her daughter had trouble sleeping and grappled with episodes of self-loathing and anxiety, but by the time she was 14, she had started cutting herself and was having suicidal thoughts.
Without Laurie knowing, she had been sneaking away her confiscated smartphone and Evden EVe nAKliYat spending hours online at night, trawling through posts about self-harm and eating disorders on social media platforms.
"One day she said to me: 'Mom, I'm going to hurt myself badly if I don't get help,'" Laurie said as she described the mental health crises that have plagued her daughter for the last two years, disrupting her education and devastating the family's finances.
She asked to use only her first name in order to protect the identity of her daughter.
Paying for eVDeN EvE nAkliyaT her daughter's care - therapists, evdEN eVE NAkLiyAT a psychiatrist, and multiple residential treatment facilities across the country - has nearly bankrupted Laurie, who recently sold her house in California and moved to a cheaper home in another state.
In August, she filed a lawsuit on behalf of her daughter against the social media platforms she blames for eVdEN evE nAkLiYaT the ordeal: Instagram, evDen EVe NaKliyAt Snapchat and TikTok.
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