Could social media be deliberately addicting our kids?
That’s the question at the heart of a landmark trial that kicked off Monday in Los Angeles.
Instagram and YouTube face accusations of creating “addiction machines.”
Plaintiff Kaley G.M.—referred to by her initials because the alleged harms began when she was a minor—claims her mental health suffered. This was due to the platforms’ design.
Attorney Mark Lanier didn’t hold back: “These companies built machines designed to addict the brains of children, and they did it on purpose,” he told the jury.
He even used blocks labeled “Addicting,” “Brains,” and “Children” to drive the point home.
Lanier also displayed internal emails, including one from Mark Zuckerberg demanding a 12% increase in user time.
He alleged YouTube targeted kids to boost ad revenue.
Unsurprisingly, Meta and YouTube pushed back.
Big Tech Accountability
Meta attorney Paul Schmidt highlighted that Kaley had faced abuse, neglect, and family turmoil.
He argued her struggles were not caused solely by social media.
“In a case that’s about psychological distress, you have to consider what she went through at home,” Schmidt said.
Over six weeks, jurors will hear testimony from experts, families, whistleblowers.
They will possibly hear from Zuckerberg, Instagram head Adam Mosseri, and YouTube CEO Neal Mohan.
With Snapchat and TikTok already settled, the trial’s outcome could set a benchmark affecting thousands of lawsuits nationwide.
So, will the jury hold social media accountable—or chalk it up to kids navigating life in the digital age?
Either way, the stakes for Big Tech have never been higher.
