US EditionYoung woman says she was on social media ‘all day long’ as a child in landmark addiction trial
Plaintiff K.G.M. claims early social media use starting at age 6 led to addiction and worsened mental health, with over 1,600 similar lawsuits pending, court testimony reveals.
- Plaintiff K.G.M., 20, testified that using Instagram and YouTube as a child worsened her depression and anxiety and caused her to withdraw from family and friends due to addictive features and impact on her self-worth.
- K.G.M.'s case is the first in a group of lawsuits accusing social media companies of designing addictive platforms harmful to youth mental health.
- Meta argued that family problems also contributed to K.G.M.'s mental health issues; K.G.M. denies this.
- A therapist said social media likely contributed to K.G.M.'s mental health issues but was not the sole cause.
138 Articles
138 Articles
Washington Top News
Kaley started using YouTube at age 6. She downloaded the app on her iPod Touch to watch videos on lip gloss collections and online play for children Animal Jam. She released her first video when she was eight: playing Animal Jam like an otter, singing with a fake British accent. A year later, she downloaded and started posting on Instagram, circumventing a restriction her mother tried to establish to block her access to the app. She says she bec…
Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Trial Targets Tech Giants
A 20-year-old woman identified in court only as K.G.M. testified Thursday in a closely watched lawsuit alleging addictive design practices by major social media platforms. Her case is one of several bellwether trials targeting tech giants over claims that their products harm minors’ mental health. The lawsuit names YouTube and Meta — parent company of Facebook and Instagram — as defendants. TikTok and Snap were originally included but reached se…
US plaintiff blames social media for her 'addiction'
The plaintiff in a blockbuster social media trial in Los Angeles took the stand Thursday, telling the jury that she could not control her use of YouTube and Instagram as a child. "I was at a young age and I would spend all my time on it," Kaley G.M., a 20-year-old California resident, testified when asked to explain why she thought she was addicted to YouTube. "Anytime I tried to separate myself from it, it just didn't work," she added. And even…
Is social media responsible for what happens to users? — Harvard Gazette
Nation & World Is social media responsible for what happens to users? Parents of children who have died due to alleged social media-related harms hold a vigil on Feb. 5 at the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse, ahead of the landmark social media addiction trial.Jordan Strauss/AP Content Services for ParentsTogether Action Christina Pazzanese Harvard Staff Writer February 27, 2026 8 min read Landmark sui…
Meta’s Defense In Social Media Addiction Trial Is Basically A Shrug
Last week, Mark Zuckerberg sat in a Los Angeles courtroom and testified for five hours that he and his company, Meta, are not culpable in claims that they have deliberately made the platform addictive and harmful for young users. The testimony was part of a bellwether trial in California in which a 20-year-old woman, referred to in the trial as K.G.M. or "Kaley," alleges that Meta and YouTube deliberately designed their platforms to be addictiv…
What social media addiction looks like, according to the woman suing Meta and YouTube
Kaley started using YouTube at the age of 6, downloading the app on her iPod Touch to watch videos about lip gloss collections and the online kids game Animal Jam. She posted her first video when she was 8 — in it, she played Animal Jam as an otter character, singing in a put-on British accent.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 65% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
