Woman at heart of US trial says she was addicted to social media at age six

"The young woman at the heart of the landmark trial about the addictive nature of social media testified for the first time on Thursday, saying she got hooked on YouTube starting at age six and Instagram at nine. By the time she was 10, she said, she had become depressed and was engaging in self-harm."

"KGM testified on Thursday that her use of social media made her anxious and insecure, and features like beauty filters distorted her self-image. But when her mother took away her cellphone, KGM said she would become filled with panic that she was missing out on something."

"The trial is the first in a consolidated group of cases brought against Meta, TikTok, YouTube and Snap on behalf of more than 1,600 plaintiffs, including more than 350 families and 250 school districts. KGM's case is also the first of more than 20 bellwether trials, which are used to gauge juries' reactions and potential verdicts, as well as set legal precedent."

A young woman identified as KGM testified in a landmark trial against YouTube, Meta, Instagram, and Facebook, claiming social media addiction beginning at age six led to severe mental health consequences including depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal ideation by age ten. She described how features like beauty filters distorted her self-image and created panic when access was restricted. The case represents the first consolidated trial involving over 1,600 plaintiffs, including 350 families and 250 school districts, alleging social media companies intentionally design addictive features such as infinite scroll and autoplay. This bellwether trial will establish legal precedent and potentially result in significant financial penalties and mandatory platform changes if plaintiffs prevail.

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