Families Paint Names of Fentanyl Victims on Street

Families and advocates gathered in Santa Monica to create a temporary memorial, painting the names of children lost to social media harms. The event, held outside Snap offices, specifically aimed to highlight deaths linked to fentanyl poisoning allegedly facilitated via Snapchat's Snap Map feature.

Organizers stated that over 40 families participated, with many attributing their children's deaths to fentanyl sourced through the platform. Heat Initiative representative Sarah Gardner accused Snapchat of knowing about the dangers for a long time. Father Todd Minor shared his grief over losing his 12-year-old son Matthew, criticizing the platforms for allegedly targeting young users.

This demonstration occurs as a significant trial unfolds in Los Angeles, where social media giants Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat face accusations of intentionally creating addictive features at the expense of youth mental well-being. While TikTok and Snap have settled, the trial against Meta and YouTube continues, with legal experts viewing it as a potential test case for over a thousand similar lawsuits filed since 2021.

By Thursday morning, cleaning crews were seen power-washing the painted names from the street, marking the temporary nature of the protest. The ongoing legal proceedings and public demonstrations underscore the growing concerns surrounding the impact of social media on young people.