The rise in eating disorders among teens is heartbreaking.
Stories like Caroline Koziol’s, of a promising college student who developed anorexia after being drawn into a spiral of fitness and weight-loss content on TikTok and Instagram, deserve to be taken seriously. But the growing wave of lawsuits, more than 1,800 claims combined into one massive case against Meta, TikTok, and other tech giants, may ultimately make a statement rather than deliver real solutions.
While these platforms certainly play a role in shaping teen behavior, holding them solely responsible for deeply personal and multifaceted mental health conditions oversimplifies the issue.
Koziol’s story, detailed in TIME, highlights a painful reality: Social media platforms can amplify unhealthy behaviors and normalize disordered thinking. But it’s important to remember that platforms like Instagram and TikTok don’t operate in a vacuum.
Their algorithms, while designed to maximize engagement, are not inherently unethical. They respond to user behavior. Koziol herself acknowledges she sought out weight-loss content during a period of isolation and stress. The platform showed her more of what she clicked on, not out of cruelty, but because that’s how algorithmic systems work.
Still, we shouldn’t ignore that these platforms are addictive by design. They reward attention and time spent, often drawing users, especially teens, into hours of scrolling. That kind of digital environment does call for greater oversight, particularly from parents and guardians. While Big Tech must be held to account when it comes to transparency and age-appropriate safeguards, it’s equally critical for families to engage in active, open conversations about social media use.
Many parents underestimate how much time their children spend online and what they’re being exposed to. According to Gallup, teens average nearly five hours per day on social media.
The American Psychological Association has found that those who spend more than three hours a day online are twice as likely to experience depression and anxiety. That’s a loud signal for families to intervene. Parents need tools, yes, but also the time and willingness to talk to their children, set digital boundaries, and create a culture where it’s safe to ask questions and express concerns. Parental involvement isn’t a silver bullet, but it’s one of the most powerful protective factors against the darker sides of social media.
Eating disorders are complex and deeply rooted in psychological, genetic, and cultural factors. They’ve been on the rise for years, long before Instagram filters or viral TikTok trends. A global study found the prevalence of eating disorders more than doubled between 2000 and 2018.
Blaming one app or one algorithm for this trend ignores broader societal pressures: The thin-ideal in media, school bullying, trauma, and family dynamics all play critical roles.
It’s also worth noting that courts have consistently ruled that platforms aren’t liable for user-generated content under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Suing them for what users choose to post or watch is shaky legal ground. And while leaked internal documents show that Meta was aware of the platform’s adverse effects on some teen girls, they also revealed that many girls reported feeling better and more connected because of the platform. The truth is nuanced.
Rather than chasing sweeping lawsuits that are unlikely to deliver real healing, we should focus on practical, meaningful solutions. We need stronger media literacy education, age-appropriate algorithm settings, better mental health access, and support for parents trying to navigate this new digital terrain with their children. And yes, tech companies must do more to ensure their platforms are not passively feeding dangerous content to vulnerable users.
Social media can be a powerful tool, a harmful influence, or something in between. But lawsuits alone won’t solve the mental health crisis among teens. Empathy, education, and shared responsibility will get us much closer.