A groundbreaking legal battle is unfolding in Los Angeles as a California woman takes the witness stand Wednesday to share her story about how social media platforms allegedly damaged her mental health during childhood.
The woman, identified in court documents as Kaley G.M., claims that using Instagram starting at age 9 and YouTube beginning at age 6 led to serious mental health struggles, including depression and body dysmorphia. Her legal team argues that Meta Platforms and Google deliberately designed their services to create addiction in young users while being aware of potential psychological harm.
This high-profile lawsuit represents part of a growing worldwide movement challenging social media companies over their impact on young people. Australia recently prohibited minors from accessing these platforms, while other nations are exploring similar restrictions.
The trial’s initial phase examined what company executives understood about social media’s effects on children and their marketing approaches toward younger demographics. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, provided testimony stating that while his company considered developing products for children, none were ever released.
For the plaintiff to prevail, her attorneys must demonstrate that the platforms’ design and operation played a significant role in causing or amplifying her psychological problems.
Defense attorneys for Meta have highlighted the woman’s background, noting her medical records document experiences with verbal and physical abuse, plus a troubled family dynamic following her parents’ divorce when she was three years old.
However, the plaintiff’s legal team referenced a recent internal Meta research study showing that teenagers facing difficult personal circumstances were more likely to report using Instagram compulsively or without intention.
The lawsuit alleges that specific platform features – including automatically playing videos and infinite scroll feeds – were intentionally created to maximize user engagement time, even with knowledge of potential harm to young people’s psychological well-being. Additionally, attorneys claim that “like” features exploited teenagers’ desire for approval while beauty enhancement filters distorted their self-perception.
YouTube’s defense team countered that Kaley failed to utilize available safety features meant to shield users from harassment, such as comment deletion tools and viewing time restrictions. Court documents show her daily average viewing time for YouTube shorts was approximately 1 minute and 14 seconds, while her typical streaming time over the past five years averaged around 29 minutes per day.
