Connecticut mother sues Meta and Snap, alleging they contributed to suicide of 11-year-old daughter who had 'extreme addiction' to social media

A Connecticut mother is suing Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, and Snap, accusing them of playing a role in her daughter's suicide.

Selena Rodriguez suffered from depression, sleep deprivation, eating disorders, and self- harm due to her use of social media, according to a complaint filed in San Francisco federal court by Tammy Rodriguez.

Selena began using social media around two years before her death by suicide in July 2021, during which time she developed an extreme addiction to social media, according to the filing.

One outpatient therapist said she had never seen a patient as addicted to social media as Selena, as Rodriguez wrote in the filing. Selena was hospitalized for emergency mental health care.

"nothing is more important to us than the wellbeing of our community" is what the company said in a statement.

"We are devastated to hear of Selena's passing, and our hearts go out to her family," a Snap spokesman told Insider. Snapchat helps people communicate with their real friends, without some of the public pressure and social comparison features of traditional social media platforms.

"We work closely with many mental health organizations to provide in-app tools and resources forSnapchatters as part of our ongoing work to keep our community safe."

Lawyers for Rodriguez did not respond to questions.

One document leaked to The Wall Street Journal states that 34% of teen girls said that they felt worse about themselves because of their social media presence.

The Journal's story focuses on a limited set of findings and casts them in a negative light, according to a September post by the head of public policy.

One in five teen girls said that social media sites made their thoughts of suicide worse, while one in six said that social media sites made their eating disorders worse.

It is not accurate that leaked internal research shows that the social network is toxic for teen girls. The research showed that many teens feel that using the photo-sharing app helps them when they are struggling with issues they have always faced. Teens report having both positive and negative experiences with social media.

Meta was sued by the sister of a federal officer killed last year, who alleged that the company promoted extremists that contributed to her brother's death.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, you can call the NEDA's Helpline on weekdays for support, resources, and information about treatment options. Just text "NEDA" to get support in crisis situations.

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has thoughts of taking their own life, get help from the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.