Punch Quoted in Albany Times Union Article on Federal Lawsuits Against Meta

November 4, 2023

Times Union

Alexandra Punch

Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health

Addiction

Media & Journalism

Mental Health

United States

Times Union

Alexandra Punch

New York State Attorney General Letitia James and 32 members of a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, alleging the social media’s “addictive” platforms have had a role in the nation’s youth mental health crisis.

The lawsuit also alleges that Meta is “routinely” collecting data from users who are 13-years-old or younger without informing parents, in violation of federal law.

Alexandra Punch, director of the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health, says that social media addiction is a result of the pleasure that users get from using various online platforms.

“Social media works a lot like any other type of addictive drug,” Punch says. “When you utilize these services, it triggers dopamine responses and serotonin responses in the brain, so it also increases your craving for more of that same thing.”

Read more in the Albany Times Union article, “Dozens of states sue Facebook, Instagram for allegedly harming young users.”