A 20-year-old California woman told a Los Angeles court Thursday that years of social media addiction beginning in early childhood left her struggling with anxiety, depression, and body image issues in a case testing whether tech giants can be held liable for alleged harm to young users.
Reuters reports that the plaintiff, identified in court documents as Kaley G.M., testified in Los Angeles County Superior Court that her obsessive use of YouTube starting at age 6 and Instagram at age 9 severely impacted multiple aspects of her life. She described experiencing anxiety, depression, insecurity about her appearance, disrupted school performance, sleep loss, and strained family relationships as a result of her social media use.
Kaley told jurors that her mental health deteriorated to the point where she harbored suicidal thoughts and began self-harming at age 10. “I began cutting myself as a coping mechanism to deal with my depression,” she testified, though she clarified she never acted on suicidal impulses.
The trial represents part of a growing global movement challenging social media companies over potential harms to minors. Australia recently banned users under 16 from social media platforms, and several other countries are evaluating similar restrictions.
Both Google and Meta have denied the allegations and stated that evidence does not support the woman’s claims.
During her testimony, Kaley described an inability to separate herself from social media even as an adult. When her mother confiscated her cellphone during her childhood, she experienced fits of rage and heightened anxiety. “I can’t, it’s too hard to be without it,” she told the court when asked about giving up social media.
Her attorney Mark Lanier questioned why she felt such desperation to regain her phone when her mother took it away. Kaley responded: “Because without it I felt a huge part of me was missing, and if I didn’t have it I would be missing out on something, and it would send me into a panic.”
Despite experiencing frequent online bullying, Kaley testified she became dependent on social media for validation and connection. She explained that being offline “bothered me more” than the insulting comments she encountered on the platforms.
The lawsuit, originally filed by Kaley’s mother two years ago before Kaley reached adulthood, alleges that Meta and Google knowingly profited from addicting young children to their services despite understanding that social media could harm their mental and behavioral health.
A day before Kaley’s testimony, her former psychotherapist who treated her at ages 13 and 14 took the stand. The therapist testified that excessive social media usage served as a “contributing factor” to Kaley’s mental health problems, which were diagnosed at the time as social phobia and body dysmorphic disorder.
The trial, which commenced in late January, has examined what the companies knew about social media’s effects on children and their business approaches regarding younger users. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified during the proceedings that while the company discussed products for children, none were ever launched.
Defense attorneys have pointed to Kaley’s personal history as a potential alternative explanation for her struggles. Meta’s lawyer noted in opening statements that Kaley’s health records document verbal and physical abuse history and difficult relationships with her parents, who divorced when she was three. Kaley’s mother is scheduled to testify following her daughter.
Read more at Reuters here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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