Meta Platforms, TikTok, and YouTube will face legal scrutiny over claims that their platforms harm youth mental health. This trial marks a key moment in the ongoing debate about kids’ screen time. In California Superior Court, a 19-year-old woman, known as K.G.M., says these platforms made her addicted at a young age. She claims that the platforms fueled her depression and suicidal thoughts. Now, she seeks to hold the companies accountable.
This lawsuit is the first of many expected this year, all focusing on “social media addiction” among children. It is the first time the tech giants must defend themselves in court for the harm their products may have caused. The plaintiff’s lawyer, Matthew Bergman, noted that this trial will put the companies under more scrutiny than any previous congressional testimony.
The jury will decide whether the companies acted negligently by offering products that harmed K.G.M.’s mental health. They must also consider if her use of the apps caused more harm than other factors, such as third-party content or life stressors offline.
“This is really a test case,” said Clay Calvert, a media lawyer at the American Enterprise Institute. “We’ll see what happens with these theories that social media platforms caused harm.”
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, will likely testify. Meta will argue that its platforms did not cause K.G.M.’s mental health struggles. TikTok and YouTube will also defend their platforms. YouTube will argue that its platform differs from others like Instagram and TikTok. Therefore, it should not face the same legal treatment. TikTok declined to comment on its strategy.
As the trial progresses, the companies are trying to reshape public opinion. They’ve launched campaigns aimed at reassuring parents about the safety of their platforms. Meta, for instance, has sponsored parent workshops on teen online safety since 2018. TikTok and YouTube have also held events to help parents manage screen time.
Both TikTok and Meta have introduced tools for parents to control screen time, such as limiting usage at night. YouTube has partnered with Girl Scouts to teach digital safety, offering patches for lessons on strong passwords and online kindness.
The companies also face challenges from lawyers who specialize in addiction cases. Meta has hired Covington & Burling, a firm known for representing McKesson in opioid litigation. TikTok’s lawyers have handled addiction-related disputes for major video game companies.
“These companies are using every lever they can,” said Julie Scelfo, founder of Mothers Against Media Addiction. “It’s hard for parents to know who to trust.”
