‘My 12yo was bubbly and outgoing, then she got TikTok - now I’m suing the app’
Brittany was outraged when her tween daughter started posting distressing content on TikTok. Now, she’s joining 5,000 other parents in a legal fight against the social media giant. Warning: Contains sensitive content.
Family Life
Don't miss out on the headlines from Family Life. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Over 5,000 parents are suing TikTok for the injuries reportedly caused or aggravated by the social media app.
Brittany Edwards, a 34-year-old nurse from Connecticut, was terrified when she was told about a distressing post on her 12-year-old daughter’s TikTok account.
The tween, once described as bubbly and outgoing, began sharing horrifying content, talking about ending her life, which left Brittany feeling helpless, confused and furious.
Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this.
RELATED: Instagram and Facebook owners sued for damaging children’s mental health
Mum horrified after finding self-harm content on daughter’s TikTok
The post read: “LOWKEY GONNA COMMIT suicide” on a simple black background.
The message was worrisome enough for a friend to text Brittany a screenshot of the post, asking if her daughter was OK.
“At first, I was pissed off, I was angry, I was upset,” the American mum told The New York Post.
“I didn’t understand where this was coming from or why she said that or why she posted that.”
Brittany had no idea her daughter had a TikTok account, as she’s technically too young to sign up. According to the TikTok Guardian’s Guide, the social media platform “is only for those aged at least 13 … and it’s important that your teen provides their real date of birth.”
When she quizzed her daughter about creating an account, the 12yo admitted to using her own email and a fake birth date to acces the platform.
Brittany was so troubled by the post that she started yelling at her daughter. “I didn’t know how to react,” she said. “I don’t know if I would take back the way I reacted because it was natural. I was scared, I was confused.”
“I don’t know if it was maybe a trend she was trying to follow to fit in or if she honestly really felt like that,” she explained. “Just me thinking about if she was to actually go ahead and do this and act this out, then I don’t know how I would be able to take it past that.”
RELATED: 'I let my 6yo daughter have mental health days every month'
RELATED: '12 hours of childcare for $8': The mum trick that saved me with a newborn
Brittany is one of 5,000 parents suing the social media platform, arguing their children are being exposed to harmful and dangerous content on their “For You” page - content that is specifically targeted at users based on an algorithm.
But in order to file a lawsuit against the social media giant, they all have an enormous hurdle to tackle first.
In July 2023, TikTok “quietly introduced” a provision in its user agreement that requires parents to file a lawsuit within one year of creating an account, or they’ll “lose their chance at pursuing damages forever,” said ClaimsHero founder Kelvin Goode.
“Given this limited window, it’s more urgent now than ever for parents and guardians to hold TikTok accountable so families like Brittany’s can pursue justice for the injuries caused by the most addictive app on the planet,” he continued.
The owner of TikTok, Chinese internet company ByteDance Ltd, has a strict “no class action” clause in its user agreement for users and residents in the US, meaning people cannot file a class action lawsuit against the company, forcing families to pursue legal action on an individual basis.
Brittany Edwards is turning to ClaimsHero to help file the lawsuit, which is acting as a middleman to mediate the battle against TikTok.
RELATED: 'I have never been more concerned about the mental health of my children’
Social media apps use addictive features to “ensnare” young people
TikTok is not the first social media app to be sued for affecting the mental health of young people.
In October 2023, more than 40 states in the US filed a federal lawsuit claiming Meta-owned platforms Facebook and Instagram were contributing to the mental health crisis among youth.
The lawsuit also claimed the apps use addictive features to “ensnare” people into using the apps.
“The phenomenon of ‘TikTok brain’ results from watching personalized videos by using an algorithm designed to accurately predict which content is preferred to engage with,” mental health expert Dr Nina Cerfolio told The Post.
“There is an increase in dopamine within the brain’s reward centre when using TikTok with the brain becoming addicted to ongoing dopamine secretion.”
She added that teens are often encouraged to use the site “in order to feel ‘good’ having secured their entry into the herd.”
“This ‘good’ feeling paradoxically damages their belief in their own uniqueness and originality,” she continued.
More Coverage
Originally published as ‘My 12yo was bubbly and outgoing, then she got TikTok - now I’m suing the app’
Woman’s genius way to be a better mother-in-law
“I feel like a number of mothers-in-law that are feeling really confused or dissatisfied by this role … so they end up acting in a way that comes across as desperate or controlling…”
Mum’s advice to stop parents from burning out
“If only everyone applied this, kids would be lovable!”