- A major lawsuit on social media addiction is playing out in Los Angeles
- Lawyers for the plaintiff argue that social media is intentionally addictive to children
- Meta and YouTube argue their platforms are safe for younger users
Have social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube “engineered addiction in children’s brains”?
That’s the question at the center of a social media addiction trial being held in Los Angeles, pitting Meta and YouTube against a plaintiff accusing the companies of intentionally creating damagingly addictive platforms.
It’s not just central to this case either. The outcome of the trial could guide the result of around 1,500 more similar lawsuits being levied at social media giants (via CNN), and continue the growing trend of social media pushback – especially when it comes to young people.
Likening swiping through social to the motion of pulling a “handle of a slot machine” in the pursuit of mental stimulation, the lawyer for the plaintiff – 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 argues, this social media addiction caused Kaley to develop anxiety, body dysmorphia, and suicidal thoughts.
The case specifically targets social media features – such as infinite scroll 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 KGM’s family dynamics are to blame for her mental health troubles, with spokespersons for the company saying that Meta “Strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.”
YouTube similarly refutes the allegations. A spokesperson has said that “providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work.” YouTube’s lawyer is expected to give the company’s opening legal statement on Tuesday, February 10.
Snapchat’s parent company, Snap, and TikTok were originally named in the lawsuit, too. However, they have both settled with KGM and are no longer defendants in the case.
A guide for what’s to come
This is just the start of what is set to be a six-week-long case – that with appeals may stretch even longer – so it’s impossible to predict what the jury’s verdict will decide, but it’s yet another instance of pushback against how social media platforms engage young people.
We’ve seen various proposed and passed bills limiting access to sites based on tighter age restrictions in the UK, Australia, and recently, France.
In another California legal case, this time from state Attorneys General, prosecutors are asking a Federal judge to force 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 impose new restrictions for younger users, and to remove what they call “ addictive” design features like autoplay and infinite scroll – a feature highlighted in the KGM lawsuit above.
At the same time, we’ve seen social media companies perhaps attempt to preempt this backlash by launching renewed safety measures for young users. Meta, in recent years, has rolled out dedicated features for teen accounts that include special safety and content filtering options for people under 16.
More recently, Discord has announced 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 unrestricted.
Though with that last one, companies are also seeing there’s a tightrope to walk between appeasing lawmakers on the safety of their platform and not creating user outrage – the latter of which Discord does appear 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 does seem major shifts are all but inevitable for how young people will be able to engage with online platforms. With privacy fears and usage frustration remaining for adults with many of the proposed solutions, however, it’s unclear if they’ll end the online safety debate or merely evolve it.
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hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector)
