- A major lawsuit over social media addiction unfolds in Los Angeles
- The plaintiff’s attorneys argue that social media is intentionally addictive to children.
- Meta and YouTube argue that their platforms are safe for younger users
Have social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube “engineered addiction into children’s brains”?
That’s the question at the center of a social media addiction trial underway in Los Angeles, pitting Meta and YouTube against a plaintiff who accuses the companies of intentionally creating harmful and addictive platforms.
Nor is it only central in this case. The outcome of the trial could guide the outcome of around 1,500 more similar lawsuits filed against social media giants (via CNN) and continue the growing trend of rejection of social media, especially when it comes to young people.
Comparing social media swiping to the motion of pulling a “slot machine handle” for mental stimulation, the plaintiff’s attorney, 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 doses.
In turn, the attorney 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 scrolling feeds (which never end, no matter how far you scroll down), rather than the platforms’ content, which would be protected by Section 230 of US federal law.
Instead, Meta’s lawyer in the case suggested that KGM’s family dynamic is to blame for his mental health problems, and company spokespeople said Meta “strongly disagrees with these allegations and is confident that the evidence will show our long-standing commitment to supporting young people.”
YouTube also refutes the allegations. A spokesperson said: “Providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been central 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 also originally named in the lawsuit. However, both reached a settlement with KGM and are no longer defendants in the case.
A guide to what is to come.
This is just the beginning of what will be a six-week long case (which, with appeals, may extend even longer), so it’s impossible to predict what the jury’s verdict will decide, but it is yet another example of opposition to the way social media platforms engage young people.
We have seen several bills proposed and passed that limit access to sites based on stricter age restrictions in the United Kingdom, 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 delete all accounts known to belong to users under 13, delete all data collected from Facebook and Instagram users under 13, and remove algorithms and other tools created with that data.
Some members of this group are also calling for Meta to impose new restrictions on younger users and remove what they call “addictive” design features like autoplay and infinite scrolling, a feature highlighted in the KGM lawsuit mentioned above.
At the same time, we’ve seen social media companies perhaps try to prevent this backlash by launching new safety measures for young users. Meta, in recent years, has implemented dedicated features for teen accounts that include special security and content filtering options for people under 16 years of age.
Most recently, Discord announced that global age verifications will be rolled out to all users in early March, requiring all users to submit an ID or complete a facial age verification before being able to use the platform without restrictions.
Although with the latter, companies are also seeing that there is a tightrope between appeasing lawmakers about the security of their platform and not generating user outrage, the latter of which Discord appears to have stoked.
We’ll have to wait and see exactly what happens with the above case, the many others in the works, and the various government actions being taken on social media, but it seems that major changes to the way young people will be able to interact with online platforms are almost inevitable. However, as privacy fears and usage frustration continue to plague adults with many of the proposed solutions, it is unclear whether they will end the online safety debate or simply evolve it.
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