- A major social media addiction lawsuit is unfolding in Los Angeles
- Lawyers for the plaintiff argue that social media is deliberately addictive to children
- Meta and YouTube claim their platforms are safe for younger users
Have social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube “constructed addiction in children’s brains”?
That’s the question at the center of a social media addiction lawsuit being held in Los Angeles, pitting Meta and YouTube against a plaintiff who accuses the companies of knowingly creating harmfully addictive platforms.
Nor is it only central to this case. The outcome of the lawsuit could be indicative of the outcome of about 1,500 more similar lawsuits being filed against social media giants (via CNN ), continuing the growing trend of social media pushback — especially when it comes to young people.
Like swiping through social with the motion of pulling a “lever on a slot machine” in pursuit of mental stimulation, the plaintiff’s lawyer – identified only as Kaley (and her initials KGM) – argues that YouTube and Instagram are like “digital casinos” with features that create an addictive cycle of dopamine hits.
In turn, the lawyer claims, this social media addiction caused Kaley to develop anxiety, body dysmorphia and suicidal thoughts.
The suit specifically targets social media features — such as endless scrolling feeds (which never end no matter how far you scroll down) — rather than the content of the platforms, which would be protected under US Section 230 of Federal Law.
Meta’s lawyer in the case has instead suggested that KGM’s family dynamics are to blame for her mental health issues, with company spokespersons saying that Meta “strongly disagrees with these allegations and is confident that the evidence will demonstrate our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.”
YouTube similarly denies the allegations. A spokesperson has said that “giving young people a safer, healthier experience has always been at the heart of our work.” YouTube’s lawyer is expected to provide the company’s opening legal statement on Tuesday, February 10.
Snapchat’s parent company, Snap, and TikTok were also originally named in the lawsuit. However, they have both settled with KGM and are no longer defendants in the case.
A guide to what’s to come
This is just the start of what is set to be a six-week trial – which could extend even longer on appeal – so it’s impossible to predict what the jury’s verdict will decide, but it’s yet another example of a backlash against how social media platforms engage young people.
We have seen various proposed and passed bills restricting access to websites based on tighter age restrictions in the UK, Australia and more recently in France.
In another lawsuit in California, this time from state attorneys general, prosecutors are asking a federal judge to compel Meta to remove all accounts known to belong to users under 13, to delete all data collected from Facebook and Instagram users under 13, and to delete algorithms and other tools built using said data.
Some of this group are also calling for Meta to introduce new restrictions on younger users and remove what they call “addictive” design features like autoplay and infinite scrolling – a feature highlighted in the KGM case above.
At the same time, we’ve seen social media companies perhaps try to prevent this backlash by launching renewed security measures for young users. In recent years, Meta has rolled out dedicated features for teen accounts that include special security and content filtering options for under-16s.
Recently, Discord announced that global age verification checks will roll out to all users in early March – requiring all users to submit an ID or complete a facial age check before they can use the platform indefinitely.
Although with the latter, the companies also see a fine line to walk between appeasing lawmakers about the security of their platform and not creating user outrage—the latter of which Discord seems to have stoked.
We’ll have to wait and see exactly what happens with the case above, the many others in the works, and various government actions being taken on social media, but it seems like big shifts are almost inevitable in how young people will be able to engage with online platforms. With privacy fears and user frustration left for adults with many of the proposed solutions, however, it is unclear whether they will end the online security debate or simply develop it.
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