"Jurors in a landmark social media case that seeks to hold tech companies responsible for harms to children got their first glimpse into what will be a lengthy trial characterized by dueling narratives from the plaintiffs and the two remaining defendants, Meta and YouTube. At the core of the Los Angeles case is a 20-year-old identified only by the initials "KGM," whose case could determine how thousands of similar lawsuits will play out."
"Meta lawyer Paul Schmidt spoke of the disagreement within the scientific community over social media addiction, with some researchers believing it doesn't exist, or that addiction is not the most appropriate way to describe heavy social media use. Luis Li, the attorney representing YouTube and Google, delivered an opening statement on Tuesday focused on KGM's user data, saying the five-year average of her watch time is 29 minutes per day."
Jurors heard opening statements in a Los Angeles trial that aims to hold Meta and YouTube responsible for alleged addictive features that harmed children. KGM, a 20-year-old identified by initials, serves as a bellwether plaintiff alongside two others to shape thousands of similar suits. Plaintiffs likened platform features to casinos and addictive drugs and challenged elements like infinite scroll. Meta emphasized disagreement among researchers about whether social media use constitutes addiction. YouTube highlighted KGM's average watch time of 29 minutes per day and noted that features such as Shorts and infinite scroll can be disabled or modified by users.
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