Each domain is independently sourced from peer-reviewed research or government data. All figures in 2025 USD.
Out-of-pocket therapy, psychiatric, and inpatient costs over 3 years.
Income lost to missed work, reduced hours, and job departure.
Out-of-pocket litigation costs — MDL intake, expert witnesses, depositions.
Monetised caregiver mental health burden using a proprietary economic valuation methodology.
Relationship breakdown, sibling impact, and household restructuring costs.
Unpaid hours spent in appointments, court proceedings, and advocacy.
A family with one child experiencing moderate platform-related harm (depression, anxiety, disordered eating — the most common MDL plaintiff profile), pursuing accountability over three years.
Median case: one child, moderate harm, 3-year accountability timeline. Individual outcomes vary based on harm severity, insurance coverage, and litigation path.
What the family pays vs. what the platform pays — per child harmed.
Base THC adjusted by each platform's proprietary harm score. Higher-scoring platforms carry a proportionally elevated family cost burden.
Three arguments the THC framework supports for legislators and attorneys general.
Current FTC fine levels represent less than 0.001% of the median family's THC. Effective deterrence requires fines calibrated to the THC, not to platform revenue.
In the 16 states with no enacted child online safety law, families bear the entire $179,836 THC with no regulatory backstop, no AG enforcement, and no platform accountability mechanism.
Even if every MDL plaintiff receives $50,000 — an optimistic estimate — the median family's uncompensated THC remains $129,836. Structural reform, not litigation alone, is the only path to full accountability.
This methodology has not yet been submitted for academic peer review. It is intended as a practitioner framework for litigation support, policy advocacy, and public education. TeenAegis welcomes challenge and refinement from academic economists, public health researchers, and plaintiff attorneys.
Expert data packages for plaintiff attorneys — harm scores, NCMEC data, and THC calculations for MDL filings.
State-customised briefing packages for attorneys general and legislators — THC data, platform harm scores, and legislative gap analysis.