The world's largest social media companies have been accused of creating 'addiction machines' as a landmark trial began in California examining the mental health effects of Instagram and YouTube. In his opening argument before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl and a jury, Mark Lanier argued that his client, plaintiff K.G.M., suffered from mental health issues as a result of her social media addiction. These companies built machines designed to addict the brains of children, and they did it on purpose, Lanier said.
Lawyers for Meta and YouTube told the jury that K.G.M.'s addiction stemmed from other issues in her life, not their negligence. K.G.M. will be referred to by her initials, or as Kaley G.M., because the alleged harms took place when she was a minor.
Lanier charged that Meta and YouTube failed to warn of the dangers to young users posed by their platforms' designs. He emphasized his opening remarks by showcasing a display of children's blocks spelling Addicting, Brains, Children alongside letters A, B, and C. This case is about two of the richest corporations in history who have engineered addiction in children's brains, Lanier stated, promising the jury evidence, including internal documents and emails from company executives, that would illuminate this issue.
He cited a 2015 email from Mark Zuckerberg that proposed increasing time spent on Meta platforms by 12%, pointing to the inherent profit motivation in keeping users engaged. In addition, he described how YouTube aimed to attract children for higher advert rates over its specialized kids' platform.
When Meta's attorney, Paul Schmidt, spoke, he portrayed K.G.M as someone grappling with family turmoil, including abuse and bullying, thus arguing her struggles were not primarily due to social media use. The trial is expected to last six weeks, with testimonies from various stakeholders, including family members and former employees, making it a pivotal case for future litigations regarding social media's impact on youth mental health.
Lawyers for Meta and YouTube told the jury that K.G.M.'s addiction stemmed from other issues in her life, not their negligence. K.G.M. will be referred to by her initials, or as Kaley G.M., because the alleged harms took place when she was a minor.
Lanier charged that Meta and YouTube failed to warn of the dangers to young users posed by their platforms' designs. He emphasized his opening remarks by showcasing a display of children's blocks spelling Addicting, Brains, Children alongside letters A, B, and C. This case is about two of the richest corporations in history who have engineered addiction in children's brains, Lanier stated, promising the jury evidence, including internal documents and emails from company executives, that would illuminate this issue.
He cited a 2015 email from Mark Zuckerberg that proposed increasing time spent on Meta platforms by 12%, pointing to the inherent profit motivation in keeping users engaged. In addition, he described how YouTube aimed to attract children for higher advert rates over its specialized kids' platform.
When Meta's attorney, Paul Schmidt, spoke, he portrayed K.G.M as someone grappling with family turmoil, including abuse and bullying, thus arguing her struggles were not primarily due to social media use. The trial is expected to last six weeks, with testimonies from various stakeholders, including family members and former employees, making it a pivotal case for future litigations regarding social media's impact on youth mental health.
