Arkansas Sues YouTube, Accuses Platform of Harming Kids’ Mental Health [Video]

Arkansas has filed a lawsuit against YouTube and parent company Alphabet, alleging the platform has contributed to a mental health crisis facing the state’s youth.

The lawsuit, filed by Attorney General Tim Griffin in Arkansas state court, accuses YouTube of violating state laws on deceptive trade practices and public nuisance. The state argues that the platform’s addictive nature has forced Arkansas to spend millions of dollars on mental health services for its youth.

The lawsuit also asserts that YouTube exploits children’s dopamine responses by feeding them harmful content. “YouTube amplifies harmful material, doses users with dopamine hits, and drives youth engagement and advertising revenue,” the lawsuit says. “As a result, youth mental health problems have advanced in lockstep with the growth of social media, and in particular, YouTube.”

While the lawsuit does not specify the amount of damages sought, Arkansas is asking the court to require YouTube to fund prevention, …