NH Attorney General’s office seeking public’s input for probe into social media’s impact on kids

CONCORD, N.H. — If your child, teenager or loved one has been negatively impacted by a social media platform, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office wants to hear from you.

The attorney general’s office is seeking input from the public for a national investigation into social media’s impacts on children and youths, amid what some are calling a mental health crisis among young people.

“In recent years, there has been an increased focus on the correlation between the development of serious mental health disorders by minors and time spent on social media,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement.

“There has also been extensive media attention on the responsibility of businesses who own social media platforms to protect children and young adults from the known dangers of using their platforms,” the attorney general’s office said. “Eliminating the harmful effect of social media on our youth and holding social media platforms accountable for their actions is a top priority for the New Hampshire Department of Justice.”

In November 2021, at the direction of Attorney General John Formella, New Hampshire joined a nationwide investigation into Meta Platforms Inc. for providing and promoting its social media platforms – Facebook and Instagram – to children and young adults “despite knowing that use of these platforms is associated with an increased risk of physical and mental health harms in young people, including depression, eating disorders, and even suicide,” the attorney general’s office said.

Investigators have since expanded their probe to include ByteDance, owner of Tik Tok Inc.

“Any information on how these Social Media Platforms have had an effect on people in the Granite State would be valuable as our investigators continue their work,” the attorney general’s office said.

A report by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released in February found that nearly three in five teenage girls said they felt persistent sadness in 2021 and one in three girls seriously considered attempting suicide.

The findings were based on surveys from the CDC that are completed by teenagers across the U.S. every two years. More than 17,200 high school students filled out the surveys.

Anyone who has witnessed or experienced the negative impact of social media use on the mental health of young people is urged to email their personal stories and contact information to: SMPImpact@doj.nh.gov.

When emailing this information, officials are asking the public to include: Your name, contact information, the age of the person impacted, a brief summary of what you have seen, and which social media platform(s) were involved.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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