The Roy Howard Community Journalism Center’s “What Is True?” team investigated Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s claim in an ongoing lawsuit that TikTok is an “addiction machine” targeting children younger than 18.
RESULT: True, but needs context.
Research supports the factual basis underlying Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s characterization. Studies have found that TikTok and other social media platforms use design features to maximize user engagement and that those features are associated with compulsive or problematic use among some young users. However, describing TikTok as an “addiction machine” is a rhetorical characterization used in the lawsuit rather than a clinical diagnosis. Social media addiction is not currently recognized as a disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR), and Mississippi’s allegations have not been proven in court. Read the full fact-check below:
Attorney General Lynn Fitch filed the lawsuit against TikTok in October 2024, alleging the company violated the Mississippi Consumer Protection Act by using platform features and design elements to keep young users engaged for extended periods. The complaint describes TikTok as “an addiction machine, targeting people under the age of 18 … and more insidiously children under the age of 13 … who, as Defendants well know, have developmentally limited capacity for self-control.” It further alleges TikTok intentionally manipulates dopamine release and encourages excessive, compulsive and addictive use among young users.
The lawsuit alleges TikTok’s business model depends on maximizing the amount of time young users spend on the platform through features designed to make it difficult to stop scrolling. Those allegations form the basis of Mississippi’s consumer protection claims but have not been proven in court.
Peer-reviewed research supports broader concerns about problematic social media use. A 2024 longitudinal study published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction found symptoms of problematic social media use predicted later depression, loneliness and reduced mental well-being among participants. The researchers also found evidence that depression and loneliness could predict later problematic social media use, suggesting the relationship works in both directions.
Other studies have found associations between heavy or problematic social media use among adolescents and higher rates of anxiety, depression and disrupted sleep. However, researchers continue to debate whether those relationships are causal or correlational.
The primary complication with Fitch’s claim is the word “addiction.” According to the American Psychiatric Association, gambling disorder is currently the only behavioral addiction formally recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR). Internet gaming disorder is listed as a condition requiring additional study, but social media addiction is not recognized as an official diagnosis.
Researchers continue to study whether compulsive social media use resembles other behavioral addictions. A 2026 study published in Addictive Behaviors Reports found most DSM-5 internet gaming disorder criteria accurately identified participants classified by researchers as having social media addiction symptoms. The findings support continued research but do not establish social media addiction as a formally recognized medical diagnosis.
TikTok has denied Mississippi’s allegations and similar claims made by 12 other states and Washington, D.C. In response to the multistate litigation, the company said it “strongly disagrees” with the claims and remains “deeply committed to the work we’ve done to protect teens.”
In April 2026, the Mississippi Supreme Court denied TikTok’s request for an interlocutory appeal, allowing Mississippi’s lawsuit to continue in Hinds County Chancery Court.
About “What Is True?”
The RHCJC “What Is True?” team of graduate investigators examines everything from viral online posts to local community rumors. If you have a question, submit it to the “What Is True?” inquiry form on the RHCJC website or call 855-IS-IT-TRU (855-474-8878).
Click here to view the original article from Roy Howard Community Journalism Center.