A teenager has been accused of social media addiction

A Florida teenager who accused Meta of being addicted and harmed by platforms like Instagram has dropped the lawsuit.

The 15-year-old plaintiff, known only by the first name of RKC, had in recent weeks. He corrected the same claims TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube have all been accused of creating addictive platforms that are harmful to children.

RKC’s claim was due to go before a Los Angeles jury next week as part of a court proceeding that saw Meta and YouTube. Once lost.

A Meta spokesperson told the BBC: “The claims have not stopped, and this result shows that we will not back down from defending ourselves against baseless claims.”

RKC lawyers Emily Jeffcoat and Rahul Ravipudi told the BBC that the young plaintiff “came to this process to hold social media companies accountable and to make changes to protect young people like him.”

“He did so,” he added.

Citing fears of a weeks-long jury trial, the lawyers said RKC was ready to “close this chapter and focus on his recovery and engage in treatment as he seeks to regain a normal life.”

A spokesperson for Meta said it had not received any payment for dropping the claim.

RKC says that common social media features such as infinite scrolling and auto-play, which continuously and automatically show users new content on the platform, have fueled compulsive use, a form of addiction.

He claimed it caused him anxiety and insomnia, among other issues.

During the first trial, Meta and YouTube faced similar allegations from a young woman.

Jurors ultimately found them liable for harming her mental health and were told to pay her $6m (£4.4mn) in damages.

It is the first time that social media platforms are being held accountable for their impact on users.

Both companies have now appealed the verdict.

Los Angeles Superior Court oversees hundreds of lawsuits against social media companies with similar addiction and injury claims. Few cases are selected for trial.

The next one is scheduled to begin in October, court records show.

They are all over the US. Thousands of cases He accused Meta and other major social media platforms of harming young children.

In May Meta is calm For an undisclosed amount against the school district suing for adverse impact on students, as long as schools incur costs related to student safety. The school district sought $60 million in damages.

That deal came shortly after a New Mexico judge told Meta. Pay $375 million. To mislead users about the safety of its platforms for children.