Minnesota parents and mental-health leaders seeking stronger social media protections for kids feel a sense of vindication following high-profile legal victories in other states.
They also say the fight isn't over, pointing to a past regulatory push for tobacco products.
Juries in California and New Mexico recently sided with plaintiffs seeking damages against Meta and YouTube as uproar builds about how their platforms target young people, exposing them to exploitation and addictive engagement.
Erich Mische, CEO of Minnesota-based national nonprofit Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, said they have a parent on their board of directors who lost a daughter to online bullying. He said he hopes other parents don't feel helpless in demanding additional accountability.
"In the real world, we wouldn't tolerate unsafe products that would harm children," he said, "and yet, we continue to tolerate that kind of product being unleashed upon our kids."
Mische said parents have been made scapegoats as society sorts out corrective action for social media harms. He sees parallels with the past fight against Big Tobacco, warning that social media companies are donating money to politicians, nonprofits and research universities to buy influence. Both Meta and YouTube have long defended their approach in trying to keep their platforms safe.
Mische's group is part of a wave of organizations and activists backing reforms at the state and federal level. As in the fight against tobacco companies, he said creating public pressure as research comes together can make a difference.
"No matter how much money Big Tech has," he said, "at the end of the day, the most powerful force for change is still gonna be parents standing up and advocating to protect their kids."
SAVE is also leading a pledge initiative for nonprofits to refuse financial gifts from social media companies. The U.S.Department of Health and Human Services cites findings showing that children and adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of mental health problems, including symptoms of depression and anxiety.
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