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Social Media Addiction in Austin, TX

If your child has been harmed by Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, or Snapchat, you may have a case against these companies. Edward O. Moody, P.A. is here to help.

Austin is home to the University of Texas, more than 50,000 college students, and one of the most tech-engaged populations in the country. It is also home to tens of thousands of parents and families watching their children and young people struggle with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self-harm, and suicidal ideation that researchers, federal courts, and the U.S. Surgeon General are increasingly attributing to the deliberate behavioral engineering of social media platforms.

The companies that built Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat conducted internal research showing harm to young users — and chose to continue operating their engagement systems anyway. That knowing decision is at the center of litigation being pursued on behalf of families across the country, including in Austin.

How Social Media Companies Targeted Austin’s Young Users

Austin’s large student population and young professional community made it a prime target market for social media platforms designed to maximize time-on-app regardless of psychological cost. Internal research, whistleblower testimony, and documents in active litigation have revealed that Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube deployed advanced behavioral engineering techniques specifically designed to create compulsive use patterns in adolescent users:

Infinite scrolling removing natural stopping points from the user experience

Variable reward notifications calibrated to trigger the same dopamine response patterns associated with slot machines — producing compulsive checking behavior even when it brings no satisfaction

Algorithmic content amplification surfacing increasingly extreme, emotionally charged, or harmful content to users whose engagement data suggests they will respond to it

Engagement-based ranking rewarding content generating strong emotional reactions — including content normalizing self-harm, extreme dieting, and dangerous physical challenges

Meta’s own internal research showed that Instagram could be damaging to the mental health and body image of teenage girls. The company continued to refine and deploy its engagement systems after learning this. This knowing disregard for user safety is the foundation of the legal claims now advancing in federal courts on behalf of families including those in Austin.

Qualifying Criteria for Austin Families

Used Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or Snapchat

Used the platform more than 3 hours per day on average

Began using the platform before age 18

Age 25 or younger at time of signing

Suffered a documented injury: severe depression, anxiety disorder, PTSD, eating disorder, body dysmorphia, self-harm, suicide attempt, drug overdose, sexual exploitation, or accidental death tied to an online challenge

Questions Austin Families Ask

Yes. A suicide attempt connected to social media use is one of the most serious qualifying events in current litigation, and a psychiatrist’s documented connection to the platform is significant medical evidence. Your daughter must have used the platforms before age 18 and more than 3 hours daily on average — both of which appear to apply. Please contact us for a free, confidential evaluation. We handle these cases with the care and seriousness they deserve.

Yes — he is within the qualifying age window (25 or younger at signing), his platform use began well before age 18, and the documented anxiety and depression with his therapist’s documented connection to the platforms are qualifying injuries. Please contact us.

The evaluation is free and creates no obligation. You can call 501-376-0000 or complete the contact form on our website. We will ask you about the platforms used, the age of first use, and the documented injuries, then give you an honest assessment of whether your family’s situation is likely to qualify. You decide what to do with that information at your own pace.

If your child has been harmed by social media addiction in Austin, contact Edward O. Moody, P.A. for a free confidential consultation. Call 501-376-0000.