New HampshireDepartment of JusticeOffice of the Attorney General

AG Investigation: Social Media Impact on Young People

The NH Attorney General's Office is seeking help from the public as part of a national investigation into the impacts of Social Media Platforms.

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.

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.

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 M. 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.

This investigation has since been expanded to include similar conduct by 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.

Please include:

  1. Your Name.
  2. Contact Information.
  3. Age of Person Impacted.
  4. Brief Summary of What You Have Seen.
  5. Which Social Media Platform(s) Were Involved.

If you have witnessed or experienced the negative impact of social media use on the mental health of young people, we encourage you to share the following information by email to: SMPImpact@doj.nh.gov.

New Hampshire Department of Justice
1 Granite Place South | Concord, NH | 03301
Telephone: 603-271-3658