US trial targets social media over child mental health
A high-profile court case has opened in California, putting major social media platforms under scrutiny over claims that their products negatively affect the mental health of children and teenagers. The trial, taking place at the Los Angeles Superior Court, focuses on allegations against Instagram and YouTube, accused of deliberately designing features that encourage excessive use among young users. The case was brought by a plaintiff identified as K.G.M., whose identity is protected because the alleged harm occurred while she was a minor. In his opening statement, the plaintiff’s lawyer told the jury that the platforms were intentionally engineered to keep children engaged for as long as possible. He argued that design choices such as algorithms, notifications and autoplay functions were created with the goal of maximizing user attention, without sufficient consideration for the psychological risks to young people. According to […]