Meta, TikTok and YouTube face trial over youth mental health claims

Social media mental health trial overview:

• Who: Meta, TikTok and YouTube are facing a lawsuit brought by a 19-year-old named K.G.M. and her mother, Karen Glenn.
• Why: The lawsuit alleges that these companies created addictive features on their platforms that harmed K.G.M.’s mental health.
• Where: The trial is taking place in Los Angeles County Superior Court in California.
• How to Get Help: If you or your child experienced social media addiction or mental health issues linked to excessive platform use, you may qualify to take legal action.

Meta, TikTok and YouTube are facing a lawsuit in Los Angeles, where they must defend against claims that their platforms have negatively impacted the mental health of young users.

The case, brought by a 19-year-old identified as K.G.M. and her mother, accuses the companies of designing addictive features that led to mental health issues, including self-harm and suicidal thoughts.

The trial, which began this week, marks the first time these social media giants will testify before a jury regarding such claims. The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages and could influence more than 1,000 similar cases against these companies.

According to court documents, K.G.M. began using social media at age 10 despite attempts by her mother to block access. The complaint states that the platforms’ addictive designs led to compulsive use and a decline in K.G.M.’s mental health.

“Defendants’ knowing and deliberate product design, marketing, distribution, programming and operational decision and conduct caused serious emotional and mental harms to K.G.M. and her family,” the complaint states.

Social media platforms under scrutiny for addictive designs

The lawsuit alleges that features on platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat encouraged harmful behaviors and interactions.

Snapchat and Instagram’s user recommendation features allegedly connected K.G.M. with strangers, including predatory adults. Additionally, Instagram and TikTok are accused of targeting K.G.M. with content that negatively affected her body image and mental health.

The complaint also highlights incidents of bullying and sextortion that K.G.M. experienced on Instagram, which took weeks to address.

The case is part of a larger multidistrict litigation involving around 1,500 personal injury cases against these social media companies. The outcome could have significant implications for how these platforms operate and their responsibility for user safety.

Despite the allegations, the companies maintain that they have implemented safety features and policies to protect young users. Meta claims it has introduced “teen accounts” with default privacy protections and parental supervision tools, while YouTube says it has implemented similar restrictions.

In the same case, Snap Inc. reached a settlement over claims its social media platform Snapchat harms young users’ mental health, just days before the scheduled trial.

What do you think of accusations in this Meta, TikTok and YouTube lawsuit? Let us know in the comments.

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