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A 20-year-old woman took the stand Thursday in a landmark lawsuit against social media giants, testifying about her experience using platforms like Instagram and YouTube since childhood, which she claims led to addiction and worsened her mental health struggles.
The plaintiff, identified in court documents as KGM and referred to as “Kaley” by her legal team, began using YouTube at age 6 and Instagram by age 9. She testified that she was on social media “all day long” as a child, behaviors she believes contributed to depression and suicidal thoughts.
“Anytime I tried to set limits for myself, it wouldn’t work and I just couldn’t get off,” Kaley told the Los Angeles courtroom, describing her relationship with the platforms.
The case represents a significant legal challenge to the tech industry, as it’s one of three selected as a bellwether trial that could determine the trajectory of thousands of similar lawsuits against social media companies. While TikTok and Snap have already reached settlements in this case, Meta and YouTube remain as defendants.
Dressed in a pink floral dress with a beige cardigan, Kaley appeared visibly nervous as she began her testimony. Her attorney, Mark Lanier, guided her through recollections of her childhood in Chico, California, showing photos of themed birthday parties and family trips.
Despite these positive memories, Kaley acknowledged that her relationship with her mother was often strained, with most arguments revolving around phone usage. This family dynamic has become a central point of contention in the case, with Meta and Google’s YouTube arguing that Kaley turned to social media as an escape from existing mental health challenges, rather than the platforms causing those issues.
During cross-examination, Meta attorney Phyllis Jones highlighted several inconsistencies between Kaley’s testimony and her 2023 deposition. Kaley acknowledged that her mother had been physically and emotionally abusive during periods when she was self-harming around sixth grade, though earlier in her testimony she had been reluctant to characterize her mother’s behavior as abuse or neglect.
“I tried to answer the questions to the best of my ability, but I may have misspoke at times,” Kaley said regarding discrepancies in her statements.
Kaley’s testimony revealed the extent of her platform engagement, including creating multiple accounts on both Instagram and YouTube to like and comment on her own posts. She admitted to “buying” likes through engagement exchange services to appear more popular among peers.
Platform features like notifications gave her a “rush,” Kaley testified, prompting her to check her phone throughout the school day, often excusing herself to the bathroom – a habit she maintains today. The plaintiff’s legal team dramatically illustrated her Instagram usage by unfurling a 35-foot canvas banner displaying photos she had posted, with Kaley confirming “almost all” had filters applied.
The jury viewed videos from Kaley’s youth, including one where she celebrated reaching 100 YouTube subscribers while simultaneously criticizing her appearance, saying “I look so fat in this shirt.” Kaley testified that her body dysmorphia emerged only after she began using social media and its appearance-altering filters.
Victoria Burke, Kaley’s former therapist who treated her in 2019, testified Wednesday that social media and Kaley’s sense of self “were closely related,” with platform interactions capable of dramatically affecting her mood. However, during Meta’s three-hour cross-examination of Burke, attorneys highlighted other potential factors in Kaley’s mental health struggles, including in-person bullying, academic stress, and family conflicts.
Meta’s defense strategy focuses on whether their platforms truly constituted a “substantial factor” in Kaley’s mental health issues, with attorney Paul Schmidt establishing this question as central to the case. Jones confirmed through questioning that Kaley had never been formally diagnosed with social media addiction by a healthcare provider, nor had she been prescribed to limit Instagram use as part of any treatment plan.
Kaley, who now works as a personal shopper at Walmart and lives with her mother in her childhood home, explained that she never raised concerns about platform addiction with healthcare providers because she feared they would advise her to quit entirely – something she was unwilling to do.
The trial is expected to continue for several weeks, with its outcome potentially influencing thousands of similar cases against social media companies. Meta is simultaneously facing another high-profile trial in New Mexico regarding its platforms’ impacts on young users.
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11 Comments
Powerful testimony from this young woman. The extent of her social media use from such a young age is alarming. Hoping this case can drive meaningful change in how tech companies approach safety and responsibility, especially when it comes to protecting vulnerable youth.
It’s concerning to hear about the extent of this young woman’s social media use from such a young age. Addiction at that stage of development could have really serious impacts. Hopeful this case brings more attention to these issues and drives progress in the tech industry.
Glad to see this issue getting its day in court. The tech industry has avoided accountability for far too long when it comes to the mental health impacts of their platforms, especially on young users. Hopeful this case can set a new precedent.
Seems like a challenging situation all around. On one hand, social media can provide valuable connections and information, but the addictive nature and mental health impacts, especially for young users, are very worrying. Will be interesting to see how the court weighs these complex factors.
This is a really important case that highlights the very real dangers of social media addiction, especially for young users. Interested to see how the court balances the benefits and drawbacks of these platforms. Hopefully it leads to positive changes to protect mental health.
This is a really important issue that deserves more attention. Social media addiction in children is a growing problem that can have devastating impacts on mental health and development. Kudos to this young woman for speaking up and bringing this to light.
Sad to hear about this young woman’s struggles with social media addiction from such a young age. Hopefully this case can raise awareness and spur the tech industry to take more responsibility for the mental health impacts of their platforms, especially on vulnerable youth.
This is a brave young woman to come forward and share her personal struggle with social media addiction. The impact it can have on mental health, especially in formative years, is really troubling. Hoping this case sheds light on these issues and leads to positive change.
Interesting to see a case like this make it to trial. The tech industry has evaded responsibility for too long when it comes to the harms of their platforms, especially for young users. Hopeful this case can set a new precedent.
Fascinating to hear this young woman’s experience with social media addiction from such a young age. It’s a concerning trend that needs to be addressed, especially the impact on mental health. Curious to see how this landmark case unfolds and what it could mean for the tech industry.
Kudos to this brave young woman for speaking up about her experience. Social media addiction in children is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. Curious to see how the court rules on this landmark case and what it could mean for regulation of the tech industry.