Mother suing Instagram and Snapchat after daughter’s death
By Courtney Zieller
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ENFIELD, CT (WFSB) — An Enfield mother is suing two popular social media sites after her 11-year-old daughter committed suicide.
Tammy Rodriguez says her daughter developed an “extreme addiction” to social media before her death last summer.
According to the 23-page lawsuit, the 11-year-old started using social media two years ago.
Eyewitness News does not know how much the family is suing for.
The attorney says it’s not about the money but holding the companies accountable.
11-year-old Selena Rodriguez was once a once a happy, creative kid.
That quickly changed when the Enfield student became hooked to social media.
In July of 2021 Selena committed suicide.
Rodriguez says she is now suing Instagram and Snapchat over her daughter’s death.
“This is what we have come to learn. These are addictive products. Particularly in the hands of a child whose brain isn’t developed,” said Attorney Matthew Bergman.
In the lawsuit, Rodriguez claims Selena developed an “extreme” addiction to social media for two years.
She attempted to reduce or limit her daughter’s use multiple times.
Since there are no parental controls, Rodriguez says she would physically take away her daughter’s devices, but that would cause Selena to run away in order to access her social media accounts on other devices.
Rodriguez then turned to the help of medical professionals.
In the lawsuit, an outpatient therapist evaluated the 11-year-old, saying: “…she had never seen a patient as addicted to social media as Selena. In the months leading up to Selena’s suicide, she was experiencing severe sleep deprivation that was caused and aggravated by her addiction to Instagram and Snapchat…”
Her mother claims it got worse during the COVID-19 pandemic as Selena spent more time on the social media sites.
The lawsuit says the 11-year-old: “…she developed numerous mental health conditions including multiple inpatient psychiatric admissions, an eating disorder, self-harm, and physically and mentally abusive behaviors toward her mother and siblings.”
Bergman says they’re looking to hold the companies accountable.
“This case isn’t about money. This is a case of trying to get these companies to take responsibility for their virtual carnage that they are conflicting on American teens,” Bergman said.
Eyewitness News reached out to Instagram and Snapchat but have not heard back.
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