'I stopped engaging' due to Instagram, YouTube, woman tells landmark trial

Source: BBC Technology

’I stopped engaging’ due to Instagram, YouTube, woman tells landmark trial

A young woman, who is suing Meta and Google over what she claims is the addictive nature of social media, told a jury that her childhood was taken over by Instagram and YouTube.

“I stopped engaging with family because I was spending all my time on social media,” she said, using the pseudonym KGM or Kaley to protect her privacy.

Kaley testified in Los Angeles that she began using YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at age 9, encountering no barriers despite her young age.

Meta has argued that Kaley’s excessive use of Instagram was not an addiction and that the platform was not to blame for her mental‑health problems. The lawsuit also names Google’s YouTube as a defendant. TikTok and Snapchat were initially sued but settled before the trial began; the settlement terms were not disclosed.

The trial, expected to last until mid‑March, will be the first legal ruling on the responsibility social‑media operators carry for their youngest users. Its outcome could affect thousands of similar lawsuits filed across the U.S. by families and state governments alleging harm to children online.

Now 20 years old, Kaley said she looked at Instagram first thing each morning and continued “all day” until bedtime, leading to difficulties at school, at home, and with her mental health. She also watched YouTube videos for hours, noting that the platform’s autoplay feature kept her engaged.

A lack of “likes” on her posts left her feeling “insecure” or “ugly.” Kaley has been diagnosed with body dysmorphia. When asked by her lawyer, Mark Lanier, whether she felt this way before using social media, she replied, “No, I didn’t.”

She reported that her first feelings of anxiety and depression arose at ages 9‑10 and that she was diagnosed with these disorders as a teenager. By age 10, she was engaging in self‑harm, cutting herself, and has seen a therapist since age 13.

Kaley’s testimony comes a week after she sat across from Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s co‑founder and CEO, as he spent around seven hours being questioned by lawyers—the first time the billionaire has appeared before a jury.

Meta’s lawyers argue that Kaley’s mental‑health struggles stem from family issues rather than Instagram use. Lead Meta lawyer Paul Schmidt pointed to statements Kaley made before filing her lawsuit about a difficult relationship with her mother that had led to thoughts of self‑harm.

Kaley told the court that, while her relationship with her mother was difficult when she was younger, most arguments now stem from her iPhone use and time spent online. She insisted that she and her mother are now close.

References

• Meta’s stance on addiction: BBC article
• Zuckerberg’s courtroom questioning: BBC article
• First day of the trial: BBC article