The US is suing YouTube for harming the mental health of young people, causing ‘brain rot’.

Arkansas has filed a lawsuit against YouTube and its parent company, Alphabet, accusing the video-sharing platform of contributing to the growing mental health problems among youth in the state. The government says YouTube is deliberately designed to be addictive, leading to what some have described as “brainwashing” of its younger audience.

The lawsuit, filed by Attorney General Tim Griffin’s office, alleges that YouTube violates Arkansas’ deceptive trade practices and public nuisance laws. It argues that platform addiction has burdened the government by increasing the need for mental health services among young people. The state believes that millions of dollars have been spent trying to control this mental health problem.

In the filing, it was said that YouTube’s design strategy appears to prioritize keeping young users engaged with content that causes dopamine hits, which lead to addiction. According to the lawsuit, this policy coincides with a disturbing rise in youth mental health problems, which seems to have grown along with the popularity of social platforms, especially YouTube.

Alphabet’s Google, which oversees YouTube, has denied the allegations, defending its approach. The company emphasized that they have been prioritizing the safety and comfort of new users. They say efforts have been made to work with mental health and child development experts to create appropriate guidelines and controls for young users. A Google spokesperson strongly denied the allegations, calling them baseless.

YouTube has specific measures that should ensure that parents are involved in users under 17. However, there are gaps, since the platform can still be accessed without an account, which allowing children to break age restrictions.

This legal action comes as part of a broader movement by federal and state officials to address the negative effects of social media on young users. Earlier this year, the US Surgeon General urged lawmakers to impose warning letters on social media, similar to those found on cigarette packs, highlighting the dangers this platform can pose to young people.

Arkansas has already filed similar lawsuits against TikTok and Facebook’s parent company Meta. These lawsuits focus on allegations that the platform misled the public about the safety of their sites for children and the security of user data. While these cases are being reviewed by the courts, a new lawsuit against YouTube adds another chapter to the ongoing battle between social media giants and government regulators.

Interestingly, Arkansas had also introduced a law requiring parental consent for children to create new social media accounts. However, this law has been blocked by a federal judge, leaving the issue of public safety for children unresolved.

Platforms like YouTube and TikTok are still some of the most popular among children and teenagers. However, both have faced criticism for hosting and promoting videos that sometimes involve dangerous behavior, such as violence, eating disorders and self-harm. In response to the growing scrutiny, YouTube has changed its policies, particularly regarding gun-related videos, restricting some content to users over the age of 18.

The lawsuit also accuses YouTube’s algorithms of pushing inappropriate adult content to young users and contributing to the spread of child abuse material. Although the lawsuit does not specify the amount of damages, it seeks to compel YouTube to fund prevention, education and treatment programs aimed at addressing social media abuse.

The case reflects the ongoing debate about the responsibility of social media platforms to protect young users and the challenges of managing a site that is so embedded in everyday life.