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

The Guardian - World NewsEN 3 min read 100% complete by Dara KerrFebruary 27, 2026 at 02:14 AM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

In a landmark trial against social media companies, KGM, the lead plaintiff, testified that she became addicted to YouTube at age six and Instagram at nine, leading to depression and self-harm by age ten. The lawsuit against YouTube and Meta alleges that their platforms are intentionally designed to be addictive, causing mental health issues in young people. KGM described how social media made her anxious and insecure, and how she panicked when her phone was taken away. This trial is the first in a consolidated group of cases involving over 1,600 plaintiffs, and its outcome could set legal precedent and lead to financial penalties and platform changes for social media companies. The case focuses on features like infinite scroll and "like" buttons, alleging they contribute to addiction.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

José Castañeda 30% Reuters 30% Facebook 40% Los Angeles County 40% TikTok ×250% Snap ×250% Instagram ×270% YouTube ×680% Meta ×380% KGM ×790%

Keywords

social media addiction 100% mental health issues 80% lawsuit 70% kgm 70% self-harm 60% youtube 60% meta 60% bellwether trials 50% addictive products 50% beauty filters 50%