South Carolina Sues Snapchat for Wrongful Death After Teen Suicide
Social media apps are facing lawsuits from all corners in the modern era, and teen mental health has become a central issue across the nation. Although some might dismiss the merits of lawsuits involving teen mental health, one family can attest to how harmful these apps can be. Their 13-year-old son was pressured to commit suicide – and now they’re suing Snapchat for wrongful death in South Carolina.
Parents Argue “Lack of Safeguards” on Snapchat Led to Teen’s Suicide
In 2023, two parents in Sumter woke up to find their 13-year-old son dead in their yard. Initially, they assumed that he was sleeping – but he had taken his own life. A subsequent investigation determined that he had been tricked into sharing sexually explicit images of himself via Snapchat. The individual who received these images subsequently threatened to expose them and attempted to extort the young boy. Suicide must have seemed like the only remaining option.
The boy’s mother did not find out about the real cause of his death for at least six months. Faced with only vague explanations, the parents eventually demanded more information from their local police department – which was remaining extremely tight-lipped about the entire affair. When the details of this “closed suicide case” came to light, the parents were outraged. At this point, they decided to sue Snapchat for contributing to their son’s death.
The Parents Did Everything They Could to Protect Their Son from Social Media
The parents claim that they did everything they could to protect their young one from the dangers of social media. They conducted random checks to see what their son was doing on his phone, and on one occasion they found him viewing an inappropriate video on Snapchat. After a productive discussion with the child, they confiscated the phone and told him to report any other inappropriate videos.
After a couple of months, they gave their son back his phone privileges. Looking back, the parents say that they wish they had simply deleted the Snapchat app entirely. In their wrongful death lawsuit, the family argues that Snapchat contains defective designs, lacking “parental controls” and “warnings.” The lawsuit also points out that Snapchat is built around self-deleting or “ephemeral” messaging – a feature that encourages deviant activities, cyberbullying, and other threats.
This Was Not the First Social-Media-Related Suicide in South Carolina
Unfortunately, this is becoming a common story in South Carolina. In 2022, a 17-year-old boy in South Carolina committed suicide after a similar sextortion scheme. Earlier in 2024, a former police chief in South Carolina was sentenced to 15 years for sextorting his own family members. Even prison inmates in South Carolina have engaged in sextortion against military service members. One has to wonder whether this issue is partially systemic and facilitated by specific social media apps.
Find an Experienced Wrongful Death Lawyer in South Carolina
Whether your loved one died in an accident or was pressured into committing suicide, a wrongful death lawsuit in South Carolina could be possible. This type of lawsuit could provide compensation for emotional distress, grief, funeral costs, and many other damages. Reach out to our Charleston wrongful death lawyers at Mickelsen Dalton, LLC today to learn more about your legal options. We can help you strive for justice, closure, and fair compensation.
Sources:
foxnews.com/us/south-carolina-family-boy-13-who-died-suicide-sue-snapchat-over-sextortion-scheme
scdailygazette.com/2024/03/14/depraved-and-disgusting-former-police-chief-in-sc-sentenced-to-15-years-for-sextortion-scheme/
