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In a groundbreaking legal battle unfolding in Los Angeles, a 20-year-old woman has taken center stage, challenging some of the world’s largest tech firms. This trial casts a critical eye on the practices of major social media companies, accusing them of deliberately crafting their platforms to be irresistibly addictive for young users.
Identified in the proceedings as KGM, the woman stands as the primary plaintiff, recounting her early introduction to social media at the tender age of six. Her legal team argues that her subsequent dependency on these platforms led to profound struggles with anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphia.
In a poignant testimony delivered on Thursday in a downtown Los Angeles Superior Court, KGM shared the emotional turmoil she endured due to the lack of engagement—such as likes and comments—on platforms like Instagram and YouTube. She candidly expressed the deep-seated feelings of inadequacy that arose from these experiences.
“I would just get really upset and sad and feel like I wasn’t worthy, I guess,” she revealed, capturing the courtroom’s attention with her heartfelt words.
“I would just get really upset and sad and feel like I wasn’t worthy I guess,” she said.
She added that the lack of online engagement made her feel “insecure,” and made her feel like she “looked ugly,” and “affected [her] self-worth.”
When asked by her lawyer why she continued using YouTube despite negative experiences, including bullying, she responded, “because being off of it bothered me more than the comments.”
A court observer noted that a female alternate juror began to cry, wiping away tears as KGM recounted her ongoing struggles with body dysmorphia.
Records presented in court showed that at one point, KGM spent 16 hours on Instagram in a single day.
She also testified that she would “scream and cry, throw a tantrum” if her mother tried to take away her phone.
“Without [her phone] I felt like a huge part of me was missing,” she said. “Without it, I couldn’t see who was liking my stuff.”
Earlier in the week, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted it is difficult for Meta to enforce age restrictions on Instagram.
In a new statement about the trial, a Meta spokesperson said: “The question for the jury in Los Angeles is whether Instagram was a substantial factor in the plaintiff’s mental health struggles. The evidence will show she faced many significant, difficult challenges well before she ever used social media.”
TikTok and Snapchat were initially named as defendants in KGM’s case, but both companies reached undisclosed settlement agreements with the plaintiffs shortly before the trial began last month.
The terms of those settlements have not been publicly disclosed.
The trial continues.
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