Latest news with #socialmediaaddiction
CTV News
30-06-2025
- CTV News
Meta, TikTok can be sued by mother of NYC teen killed while ‘subway surfing'
File photos of Facebook's Meta logo sign being seen at the company headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., on, Oct. 28, 2021, and a Sept. 28, 2020, file photo where the TikTok app logo appears in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar, Kiichiro Sato) NEW YORK -- Meta Platforms and TikTok owner ByteDance must face a wrongful death lawsuit by the mother of a 15-year-old Manhattan boy who died while 'subway surfing' on a moving train, a New York state judge ruled. Justice Paul Goetz ruled on Friday that Norma Nazario can try to prove Meta and ByteDance 'goaded' her son Zackery into subway surfing by addicting him to Instagram and TikTok, where he viewed content about 'dangerous challenges.' Meta, ByteDance and Snapchat parent Snap have faced thousands of lawsuits saying their platforms are addictive, causing harm to children, schools and governments. Zackery Nazario died on February 20, 2023, after he and his girlfriend climbed atop a Brooklyn-bound J train as it crossed the Williamsburg Bridge. His mother said a low beam struck Zackery, causing him to fall between subway cars, which ran over him. She said she later found several videos related to subway surfing on Zackery's social media accounts. Meta and ByteDance called Nazario's death 'heartbreaking,' but claimed immunity from user content under Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act, and the free speech clause of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. But the Manhattan judge said Norma Nazario could try to prove her son was targeted because of his age. 'Based on the allegations in the complaint,' Goetz wrote, 'it is plausible that the social media defendants' role exceeded that of neutral assistance in promoting content, and constituted active identification of users who would be most impacted.' Goetz said Norma Nazario may pursue wrongful death, product liability and negligence claims. He dismissed her claims against New York City's Metropolitan Transit Authority, saying common sense and 'the realities of life in this city' should have signaled to Zackery that subway surfing was dangerous. Meta, ByteDance and their lawyers had no immediate comment. Norma Nazario's lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The MTA did not immediately respond to a similar request. At least six people died from subway surfing in 2024, New York City police have said. The case is Nazario v ByteDance Ltd et al, New York State Supreme Court, New York County, No. 151540/2024. By Jonathan Stempel (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York Editing by Mark Potter)
CNA
30-06-2025
- CNA
Meta, TikTok can be sued by mother of NYC teen killed while 'subway surfing'
NEW YORK :Meta Platforms and TikTok owner ByteDance must face a wrongful death lawsuit by the mother of a 15-year-old Manhattan boy who died while "subway surfing" on a moving train, a New York state judge ruled. Justice Paul Goetz ruled on Friday that Norma Nazario can try to prove Meta and ByteDance "goaded" her son Zackery into subway surfing by addicting him to Instagram and TikTok, where he viewed content about "dangerous challenges." Meta, ByteDance and Snapchat parent Snap have faced thousands of lawsuits saying their platforms are addictive, causing harm to children, schools and governments. Zackery Nazario died on February 20, 2023, after he and his girlfriend climbed atop a Brooklyn-bound J train as it crossed the Williamsburg Bridge. His mother said a low beam struck Zackery, causing him to fall between subway cars, which ran over him. She said she later found several videos related to subway surfing on Zackery's social media accounts. Meta and ByteDance called Nazario's death "heartbreaking," but claimed immunity from user content under Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act, and the free speech clause of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. But the Manhattan judge said Norma Nazario could try to prove her son was targeted because of his age. "Based on the allegations in the complaint," Goetz wrote, "it is plausible that the social media defendants' role exceeded that of neutral assistance in promoting content, and constituted active identification of users who would be most impacted." Goetz said Norma Nazario may pursue wrongful death, product liability and negligence claims. He dismissed her claims against New York City's Metropolitan Transit Authority, saying common sense and "the realities of life in this city" should have signaled to Zackery that subway surfing was dangerous. Meta, ByteDance and their lawyers had no immediate comment. Norma Nazario's lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The MTA did not immediately respond to a similar request. At least six people died from subway surfing in 2024, New York City police have said.
Reuters
30-06-2025
- Reuters
Meta, TikTok can be sued by mother of NYC teen killed while 'subway surfing'
NEW YORK, June 30 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab and TikTok owner ByteDance must face a wrongful death lawsuit by the mother of a 15-year-old Manhattan boy who died while "subway surfing" on a moving train, a New York state judge ruled. Justice Paul Goetz ruled on Friday that Norma Nazario can try to prove Meta and ByteDance "goaded" her son Zackery into subway surfing by addicting him to Instagram and TikTok, where he viewed content about "dangerous challenges." Meta, ByteDance and Snapchat parent Snap (SNAP.N), opens new tab have faced thousands of lawsuits saying their platforms are addictive, causing harm to children, schools and governments. Zackery Nazario died on February 20, 2023, after he and his girlfriend climbed atop a Brooklyn-bound J train as it crossed the Williamsburg Bridge. His mother said a low beam struck Zackery, causing him to fall between subway cars, which ran over him. She said she later found several videos related to subway surfing on Zackery's social media accounts. Meta and ByteDance called Nazario's death "heartbreaking," but claimed immunity from user content under Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act, and the free speech clause of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. But the Manhattan judge said Norma Nazario could try to prove her son was targeted because of his age. "Based on the allegations in the complaint," Goetz wrote, "it is plausible that the social media defendants' role exceeded that of neutral assistance in promoting content, and constituted active identification of users who would be most impacted." Goetz said Norma Nazario may pursue wrongful death, product liability and negligence claims. He dismissed her claims against New York City's Metropolitan Transit Authority, saying common sense and "the realities of life in this city" should have signaled to Zackery that subway surfing was dangerous. Meta, ByteDance and their lawyers had no immediate comment. Norma Nazario's lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The MTA did not immediately respond to a similar request. At least six people died from subway surfing in 2024, New York City police have said. The case is Nazario v ByteDance Ltd et al, New York State Supreme Court, New York County, No. 151540/2024.
Telegraph
13-05-2025
- Telegraph
‘X-oholic' harassed female police chief ‘for the thrill'
A man who harassed a female chief constable online told a court he was an 'X-oholic' because of his addiction to social media. Jason Nicholls was chasing the 'instant dopamine rush' of 'likes' on X, the social network, when he bombarded Jo Shiner of Sussex Police with abusive posts over two years, he said. Nicholls shared hundreds of posts, memes, mock-up images and satirical videos on X, formerly known as Twitter, criticising the chief constable's work. The 55 year-old started a 'Twitter soap' he called 'Shiner Street' which detailed the 'ups and downs' of her force, and created a wanted poster of her face which accused her of 'crimes against policing'. Admitting stalking, Nicholls claimed to be the UK's 'first registered X-oholic' and said his social media 'addiction' had dominated his life for over a decade While awaiting sentence at Portsmouth magistrates' court, Hants, Nicholls breached his bail conditions by sending emails to police. At sentencing, magistrates told Nicholls he showed a 'flagrant disregard' for Ms Shiner and a 'significant degree' of planning had gone into his mock-up images on social media. It was heard that Nicholls, from East Cowes, Isle of Wight, stalked Ms Shiner from October 2022 to August last year. As well as his social media posts, he contacted media outlets including BBC Radio Sussex, falsely telling them she had been 'arrested'. He also created a poster which joked that she was 'separated at birth' from Uncle Albert, the Only Fools and Horses character. Prosecutors said there were a large number of posts which were distressing to Ms Shiner and she was 'professionally embarrassed'. Nicholls admitted one count of stalking without fear and distress and two counts of breaching bail conditions. In a statement in court he said: 'I am an X-oholic – blind to risk or consequence, I have lost control of my online life, impulsively chasing the instant dopamine rush of likes, shares, and replies through an overwhelming flood of posts, memes, and satirical videos. 'Today, I've hit rock bottom, but I'm ready to take his [sic] first steps toward recovery.' Nicholls apologised to Ms Shiner and Sussex Police and asked for 'forgiveness and understanding' relating to the 'addiction that has dominated my life over the past decade'. 'Above all, I am here to ask the court for support in breaking free from this overwhelming compulsion,' he said. 'I may be the UK's first registered X-oholic, but I won't be the last.' Nicholls was jailed for 15 weeks, given a restraining order, and ordered to pay £239 in costs. Magistrates said 'the defendant has a flagrant disregard for court orders because the defendant has a flagrant disregard for people and their property'. They said his offending featured a 'persistent and prolonged course of action' and a 'significant degree of planning creating mock up pictures and Twitter accounts'.
CTV News
12-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
N.S. educator discusses pitfalls of social media addiction for students
A Nova Scotia educator says the banning of cellphones in classrooms across Canada is a good start, but there's a bigger problem to address. 'We are restricting the wrong things and until we address the social media addiction and the way it has a grip on the smartphone generation, we are not going to beat it. I have also recommended that the schools need help, they are not going to succeed, they are going to be worn down through imposing restrictions,' says Paul Bennett, Schoolhouse Institute director and Saint Mary's University adjunct professor. Bennett is drawing attention to a common problem facing youth and children today: social media addiction. 'The root of the issue, which is cellphone or social media addiction, which is a form of addictive behaviour, until we deal with that we are not going to have much success,' says Bennett. Aiden Fathergill, a Halifax university student, has tried to delete certain applications multiple times but continues to come back to them. 'I try to delete all of them but then I can't communicate with my friends other than through Insta or Snapchat,' says Fathergill. Bennett says smartphone bans alone won't fix this problem with teenagers, but they are an important step in breaking the cycle of addiction. 'We need a broader strategy, a cross-sector strategy. Three sectors – health, education and social services – to provide the supports that those that are truly addicted need to get off their devices,' says Bennett Bennett compares the strategies needed to combat social media addiction to those used to target smoking between 1999 and 2012, which dropped the rate of smoking among teens from 48 per cent to 12 percent. 'I'm recommending an approach that's calibrated by age and is designed to situate and match against the children's development. For example, up to age five, I recommend a total abandonment of cellphones and parents are to enforce that. I suggest that in the elementary grades, it makes perfect sense to have them restricted severely in schools,' says Bennett. Mental health expert Julie Cass has found that children don't even realize they're addicted. 'One of the biggest problems is the notifications with social media. There is a way that they lure you in. If I am working on something else or having a conversation with a friend of mine and a notification comes up. How many times are people distracted in conversation because that notification pulls on the addiction because you need to just see what that notification is,' says Cass. High school student Zuhayr Ahmed understands the addiction behind social media but feels there is a place for it. 'I think it can be a little addictive and ruin your education a bit but if you have time management and stuff, it can be really good,' says Ahmed. Cass says it must be used in moderation. 'Social media, the problem with it is that it's constant and the information that comes to you is sometimes unsolicited, it's not even by your choice. So it's over processing our brain constantly. So social media is an issue without regulation, without boundaries and moderating, but so are other things that the smartphone provides service on such as games as well,' says Cass. Parent Leotra Downey tries to have social media off the table at her house and doesn't agree with them being permitted at all in schools. 'It should be banned, every which way, schools, teachers, because the kids ain't learning anything,' says Downey. Others like Matthew Sentes feel there are pros and cons to social media. He has a young daughter so social media hasn't played a huge part yet in her life yet and they hope to keep it that way. 'Right now we will show her videos of horses and she loves horses but that's probably going to be it for a while and keep her from seeing all the downsides that don't have a lot of benefits moving forward,' says Sentes. Cass says it comes down to the parenting and kids copy what is modelled. 'Turning off notifications for adults will really help because if we are showing our children distracted conversation, they are learning from our behaviour. If we aren't self regulating or anchoring ourselves in the current moment, our children are learning that as well,' says Cass. 'We need to learn with it. Being able to self regulate, I think it is the biggest key. Moving forward is learning where the pitfalls are and where you find your own traps are, being able to educate your kids and I think it's really important to keep open dialogue with your children as to what platforms, what goes through their head, just opening their head about what's appropriate to post and what's not.' Bennett says most educators are focused almost entirely on the device's effect on academics and on student attention in class and academic progress. 'That really turns out to be beside the point because that's of course an issue. It really is about the social media addictive effects, the mental health challenges. The fact is that 15 percent of youth are totally addicted to these devices. They sleep with them, they can't turn them off, they are looking at them constantly,' says Benett. He will be sharing his findings and views on social media addiction and the effectiveness of school smartphone bans at the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences in Toronto from May 30 to June 6. Social media This June 16, 2017 photo shows social media app icons on a smartphone held by an Associated Press reporter in San Francisco. (Jeff Chiu) For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
