A lawsuit has emerged alleging that a girl started experiencing suicidal thoughts and severe depression due to her time spent playing Roblox, beginning at the age of 7.
The child, referred to as LL, reportedly got hooked on the game in 2022, which followed her growing obsession with platforms like YouTube and TikTok, according to documents filed in Los Angeles.
As a result of her online addiction, her mental health took a sharp decline, leading to a crisis, the lawsuit claims.
This case is part of a broader wave of lawsuits targeting major tech companies such as Discord, YouTube, TikTok, Meta, and Google, alleging these platforms contributed to self-harm among children through harmful content.
In total, the lawsuit lists 22 plaintiffs from 14 states, their ages ranging from 11 to 21.
A recent court decision highlighted the responsibility of Instagram and YouTube for harming a young girl through features intended to attract children.
The legal filing indicates that LL faced significant mental health challenges due to exposure to content on Roblox that she “couldn’t avoid.”
“These harms were not sought or desired by LL. They were harms that LL could no longer avoid,” stated the documents from Los Angeles Superior Court.
The lawsuit argues that Roblox, a widely popular online game among teens in the U.S., “failed to take reasonable steps to protect the children it targeted.”
Additionally, another individual, MF, is mentioned in the lawsuit. She reportedly encountered “suicidal thoughts” while using Discord, starting in 2019 at the age of 13. Her usage escalated into addiction, leading to self-harm and other serious mental health issues.
The complaint notes that Discord is favored by extremist communities, which promote harmful ideologies.
Despite experiencing worsening mental health, MF continued using platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.
The lawsuit also brings up the case of Carmen Heneghan, who, according to her family, took her own life as a result of addiction.
She began using Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok at 12 and soon developed a detrimental dependency on these apps. Heneghan’s parents attempted to limit her access, but the situation led to turmoil within their home.
Her tragic death occurred on August 22, 2021, at just 16 years old. Friends remembered her passion for Irish dancing, which faded as her addiction took over, claims the lawsuit.
A jury recently found Meta, the parent company of Instagram, and Google, the owner of YouTube, responsible for creating features that lure children, resulting in damages of $4 million. Meta faced a judgment of $4.2 million, while Google was held liable for $1.8 million.
In the new lawsuit, plaintiffs are seeking various damages, including compensation for medical costs, funeral expenses, and punitive damages. Other companies implicated include Bytedance and Google. Responses from these firms were not immediately available.
