California Woman Testifies in Landmark Trial Against Meta and Google Over Childhood Social Media Addiction

A 20-year-old California woman testified Wednesday that Instagram and YouTube fueled a childhood social media addiction that left her with depression, anxiety and body image problems, in a landmark trial that could reshape how tech giants design products for children.

Kaley G.M., identified in court only by her first name and initials, told jurors in Los Angeles Superior Court that she began using YouTube around age 6 and Instagram by 9, spending hours scrolling feeds she says she could not put down.

Her lawsuit accuses Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, and Google's YouTube of "engineering addiction" through features such as autoplay video, infinite scroll and algorithmic recommendations aimed at keeping children online as long as possible, according to Reuters.

Lawyers for Kaley argue the companies knowingly targeted young users with designs that functioned like a behavioral hook, despite internal research showing potential harms to teen mental health.

Court filings and public documents in related cases have described internal discussions at major platforms comparing their products to addictive substances and acknowledging that minors struggle to manage screen time on their own.

Kaley's attorneys say that as her screen time climbed, her mental health declined, with symptoms including depression, body dysmorphic disorder and severe anxiety that they link directly to her childhood social media use.

They point to features such as endless scrolling feeds, "like" buttons and beauty filters, arguing these tools exploited a teenager's need for approval and distorted her self-image, ABC News reported.

Meta and Google deny the allegations and say parents, schools and other life factors play major roles in young people's mental health. A Meta spokesperson has said the company disagrees with claims that it ignores risks and highlighted recent changes, including teen-specific settings and safety tools, as evidence it prioritizes young users' well-being.

In court, Meta's lawyers have pointed to Kaley's medical records and family history, arguing she faced serious challenges long before she started using Instagram.

The case is the first in the United States to send claims of youth social media addiction against major platforms to a jury, and it sits alongside hundreds of other lawsuits by families, school districts and state attorneys general accusing the industry of fueling a youth mental health crisis.

Legal experts say a verdict against Meta and Google could open the door to more trials and potentially push platforms to change core design features for minors, while a defense win could strengthen tech companies' arguments that federal law shields them from many of these claims, as per WHBL.