Suing Instagram for Childhood Social Media Addiction Causing Bulimia – Lawsuit Attorney
Are you someone who developed bulimia during childhood due to an addiction to eating disorder content on Instagram? Was your child diagnosed with bulimia nervosa after long-term exposure to harmful content on Instagram or another social media site? This is a problem that’s been hurting our kids for many years, yet very little has been done by social medial companies to keep such images and videos off their platforms.
Instagram is especially problematic when it comes to eating disorders. Since at least 2016, the company was aware of users on their site with names like “Eternally starved,” who were interacting with vulnerable and insecure children. Even worse, they make it easy to find such content through controversial hashtags, like #thinspiration.
Childhood social media addiction causing anorexia, bulimia, suicide and attempted suicide are on the rise among young girls and boys. Thus, Instagram – where users can be as young as 13 – has a duty to protect minors from posts and related content that promote unhealthy eating and exercise habits. But the truth is, the company knew this was a growing problem as far back as 2016. Through the usage of advanced algorithms, they knew kids were viewing this content and DMing other users with names like “Eternally Starved.”
Despite the psychological trauma that was being caused by these interactions, Instagram did not implement changes to the most abusive part of their app, and as a result, many kids were eventually diagnosed with body dysphoria, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and other potentially life-threatening conditions.
Our social media eating disorder attorneys are ready to fight for you and the compensation you deserve. To discuss your case with a lawyer experienced in social media harm lawsuits, contact our law firm as soon as possible.
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Bulimia nervosa, of bulimia, is an eating disorder that’s prevalent in girls and young women, though an increasing number of males have been diagnosed with the condition within the past decade. This is partly associated with the explosion of social media, especially image-focused sites like Instagram.
Those who are bulimic engage in binge eating, followed by purging the food in order to prevent weight gain. Purging is often done through vomiting, but laxatives, diuretics, and enemas may also be used. While food seems to be the focal point with this condition, bulimia is about self-image and how looking a certain way defines your value as a human being. This is a very dangerous line of thinking, as it leads to the development of perceived flaws and obsession with weight loss. Symptoms of bulimia include:
- A preoccupation with being thin and not gaining weight
- Binge eating, i.e., eating abnormally large quantities of food
- Making yourself throw up and other purging behaviors after eating
- Severe calorie restrictions and dieting habits in between binges
- Frequent use of laxatives and other dangerous dietary aides
- Rapid weight loss and other changes in the body, such as swelling in the cheeks, hands, and feet, and sores on the knuckles and hands
Generally, bulimia is determined by the number of purges on a weekly basis – at least once a week for a period of 3 or more months. As we mentioned before, the onslaught of “perfect” and beautiful people on Instagram, along with the promotion of controversial dieting habits can be very misleading to underage users. For example, adults understand that Photoshop and filters are used to make people look taller, thinner, etc. in Instagram photos. But many kids lack this level of knowledge, and as a result, they suffer deep trauma and permanent damage to their body by trying to look like their favorite influencer or celebrity.
Can I Sue for an Eating Disorder Caused by Pro-Bulimia Content on Instagram?Yes, you can sue Instagram if their failure to protect underage users from harmful content caused you or your child to develop an eating disorder. Instagram’s negligence in this area is particularly well-known, and even the federal government has criticized them over how easy it is for children to find content related to eating disorders. In fact, it’s been proven that you can set up an account as a 13-year-old and receive recommendations from accounts that are clearly promoting dangerous dieting habits.
Not only do they feed minors this type of content and imagery, they recommend videos on hiding search histories and locking parents out of your account. Hence, a lot of parents don’t even know that their kids have a problem, and only find out when their child is hospitalized or dies of complications from bulimia nervosa.
It’s time that these companies are held accountable for the harm they’ve caused so many families. We are with you every step of the way in your journey to recovery, so please take some time to speak to an attorney that can sue Instagram for what they did to your child.
Settlement Value of an Instagram Eating Disorder LawsuitA social media content lawsuit for an eating disorder can settle for anywhere from $15,000 to over $2,000,000. Many factors play a role in how much these lawsuits are worth, though the extent of your injuries – physical and emotional – have the biggest impact. This will vary from one case to another, which is why there’s no such thing as an average value for an eating disorder caused by social medial lawsuit.
The same can be said for wrongful death claims, which are lawsuit filed by the family of a deceased victim. These payments are based on the losses that are caused by a person’s absence, which include non-economic damages like loss of consortium and pain and suffering. Wrongful death settlements for the loss of a child may be worth $1,500,000 to $5,000,000, though please keep in mind that your own case value may be lower or higher than these amounts.
Amount of Time to Settle a Social Media Harmful Content LawsuitSettling a social media harm lawsuit can take 6 months to 2 years, based on the evidence we uncover, the extent of your monetary losses, and the degree of negligence by the company. Sometimes, we are able to reach a settlement within a few months, but we would say that the majority of cases take 1 or more years. The average amount of time to settle an Instagram eating disorder lawsuit may be over 3 years if your case is tried before a judge and jury. But only around 5% of these lawsuits go to trial, so it’s more than likely that your case will be settled without any intervention from the court.
A lawsuit for an eating disorder resulting from childhood media addiction must be filed within 2 years from the date of injury, which in most cases, refers to the date of being diagnosed with bulimia. Claims are usually filed by the parent of another family member on behalf of the child. However, a child victim also has 2 years from when they turn 18 years old to sue a social media site on their own. In the event you are suing for wrongful death compensation, a lawsuit must be filed within 2 years of your loved one’s passing.
We can help you determine the deadline for a lawsuit and make sure that all the necessary paperwork is filed within the statutory time limit. Just give us a call and ask to speak with a social media addiction and abuse lawyer.
Free Legal Services from a Social Media Lawsuit AttorneySocial media sites come with their share of downsides, like everything else on the internet. But these companies have an ethical and legal duty to restrict harmful content when they allow children to access their platform. Sadly, Instagram has repeatedly failed in its duty to protect minors from psychological trauma caused by pro-mia images, posts, and videos.
As someone whose life has been impacted by an eating disorder, you may have grounds to sue Instagram for monetary compensation. Our team of social media content lawyers is at your disposal, along with a Zero Fee Guarantee from the very first consultation. Essentially, you pay $0 to hire us, as we wait until the end of your case to receive payment from Instagram. Since our fees are included in your settlement check, winning your case is the only way we get paid.
It all starts with a free case evaluation, which you can schedule by contacting our office at your earliest convenience.
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