What you should know about the landmark social media addiction lawsuit and trial

In what many are calling a landmark trial, lawyers are arguing that Meta and YouTube have created social media platforms that are purposefully addictive and harmful to children.

The trial, which kicked off in Los Angeles on Monday, centers around a 20-year-old plaintiff identified as KGM. She and her mother “accused the tech companies of intentionally creating addictive platforms that caused her to develop anxiety, body dysmorphia and suicidal thoughts,” according to CNN. 

Both TikTok and Snap were originally named in the lawsuit, but settled out of court and before the trial for undisclosed amounts. 

The social media addiction lawsuit is expected to last for weeks and, as The Atlantic put it, “has the potential to change social media—maybe even the internet—as we know it.” Many are comparing the trial’s potential impact to the formative Big Tobacco trials of the 1990s, according to PBS. 

Here’s what you should know.

What does the social media addiction lawsuit claim?

According to PBS, the lawsuit claims that KGM experienced social media addiction at an early age, and that it “exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts.” She also claims that she  was the victim of sextortion and cyberbullying on Instagram, according to CNN.

The lawsuit argues that these side effects—including social media addiction, body dysmorphia, depression, and more—are deliberate consequences of the social media apps’ design. It claims that social media apps are designed to get children addicted in order to “boost profits,” according to PBS.

The lawsuit says, “Borrowing heavily from the behavioral and neurobiological techniques used by slot machines and exploited by the cigarette industry, Defendants deliberately embedded in their products an array of design features aimed at maximizing youth engagement to drive advertising revenue.”

Mark Lanier, KGM’s lawyer, said in opening statements on Monday that social media apps are “digital casinos,” claiming that the “endless scroll feature” purposely causes social media addiction, per CNN.

“For a teenager, social validation is survival,” Lanier said, according to PBS. He continued to claim that the defendants “engineered a feature that caters to a minor’s craving for social validation,” referring to the app’s “like” buttons.

A Google spokesperson said that these claims were “simply not true.” A statement said, “Providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work.”

A spokesperson for Meta told CNN, “We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.”

Are there any other social media addiction lawsuits?

Yes. According to CNN, there are “1,500 similar lawsuits against social media companies,” all of which could be impacted by the outcome of KGM’s trial.

PBS notes that KGM is one of two plaintiffs chosen for bellwether trials, ”essentially test cases for both sides to see how their arguments play out before a jury and what damages, if any, may be awarded.”

Additionally, a similar New Mexico trial opened on Monday, claiming that social media platforms did not protect children from sextortion. And over 40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against Meta, making similar claims as in KGM’s case.

This trial is on the heels of Australia’s social media ban, which bans the use of social media for children under the age of 16.  If more countries follow suit, and if KGM’s lawyers can successfully prove that social media is designed to be addictive, there could be a real reckoning for social media platforms.

What do you think? Do you think that social media is purposefully addictive? Let us know in the comments!