A landmark court ruling in the United States has reignited one of the most consequential debates of the digital age: when social media harms young people, who should be held responsible—the technology companies that build the platforms or the millions of users who voluntarily consume their content?

The question took centre stage after a federal appeals court rejected efforts by Meta and TikTok to escape more than 3,000 lawsuits accusing them of contributing to a growing youth mental health crisis. The decision clears the way for a series of high-profile trials that could reshape how social media companies operate and how they are held accountable for the effects of their products on society.

The San Francisco-based Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Meta and TikTok could not rely on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to avoid facing the lawsuits at this stage of the legal process. The court held that the law, often described as the internet’s legal shield, serves as a defence against liability rather than complete immunity from being sued.

The ruling marks another setback for technology giants already under mounting legal and political pressure over allegations that their platforms are deliberately engineered to capture attention, prolong screen time and maximise user engagement, particularly among teenagers.

At the heart of the lawsuits is a troubling accusation: that social media companies knowingly designed products capable of fostering compulsive use among young people while failing to adequately warn users about the potential psychological consequences.

The states, school districts, municipalities, parents and individual plaintiffs behind the lawsuits argue that these platforms have become powerful behavioural machines. Through endless scrolling, algorithm-driven recommendations, notifications and personalised content feeds, they allegedly encourage prolonged use that has been linked to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, body-image issues and social isolation among young users.

The legal challenge facing Meta intensified further after a New Mexico judge recently ruled that the company had created a public nuisance and ordered it to contribute 567 million dollars to a youth mental health fund, in addition to implementing stronger safety measures for children and teenagers.

Another trial, brought by 29 state attorneys general, is also moving forward. The states accuse Meta of collecting and exploiting children's data, misleading users about platform safety and intentionally designing products that keep young people hooked.

For years, technology companies have defended themselves by arguing that they merely provide platforms where users choose how to spend their time. They contend that parents, schools and individuals also bear responsibility for managing online behaviour and ensuring healthy digital habits.

Yet critics argue that this defence overlooks the immense power of modern algorithms. Unlike traditional products, social media platforms do not simply wait for consumers to engage; they actively study behaviour, predict preferences and continuously adapt to maximise attention. The longer users stay online, the more valuable they become to advertisers and the more revenue the platforms generate.

This raises an uncomfortable question: can a teenager realistically exercise free choice when competing against algorithms designed by some of the world's most sophisticated engineers and powered by vast amounts of behavioural data?

The issue extends far beyond courtrooms and corporate boardrooms. It reflects a broader crisis affecting an entire generation that has grown up online.

Generation Z, the first generation to spend much of its adolescence in a hyper-connected digital environment, faces unprecedented exposure to social comparison, online validation and constant streams of curated content. Likes, shares, comments and follower counts have become powerful social currencies, often shaping self-worth and identity.

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Mental health experts increasingly warn that excessive social media use can intensify feelings of loneliness despite creating the illusion of connection. Young users may spend hours online seeking acceptance, entertainment or community, only to find themselves trapped in cycles of comparison, anxiety and digital dependency.

However, placing all blame on technology companies would oversimplify a complex problem.

Many users knowingly spend excessive amounts of time online. Parents often struggle to monitor children's digital habits. Schools continue to grapple with integrating technology while limiting distractions. Regulators have frequently lagged behind rapid technological advancements, allowing platforms to evolve faster than the laws designed to govern them.

The emerging consensus among experts is that responsibility is shared.

Technology companies must design safer products and be transparent about potential risks. Governments must strengthen regulations and enforce accountability. Parents and educators must promote digital literacy and healthy online habits. Users themselves must learn to engage with technology more consciously.

Yet if responsibility is shared, it is unlikely to be shared equally.

The central argument driving the lawsuits is that companies with billions of dollars in resources and access to detailed behavioural data possess a far greater capacity to influence user behaviour than individual consumers possess to resist it. If platforms are intentionally designed to maximise engagement regardless of the consequences, critics argue, then corporations cannot simply shift responsibility onto their users.

As the legal battles against Meta, TikTok, Google and Snap continue to unfold, the outcome could have far-reaching implications for the future of social media. The cases may determine not only how technology companies are regulated but also how society understands digital addiction, online safety and corporate accountability.

More importantly, they force a broader reckoning with a reality many parents, educators and young people already recognise: the youth mental health crisis cannot be separated from the digital ecosystems that increasingly shape modern life.

The courts may ultimately decide who bears legal responsibility. But the larger question confronting society is whether the relentless pursuit of engagement has created a generation that is more connected than ever before, yet increasingly vulnerable to the hidden costs of life online.