Woman who sued Meta and Youtube for social media addiction testifies in court; blames platforms for depression, strained relations with family and …

A 20-year-old California woman has testified in a landmark trial against Meta Platforms and Google, reports news agency Reuters. The woman, identified in court as Kaley G.M., told jurors that she became addicted to YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at age 9. In the testimony, Kaley claims that her childhood use of Instagram and YouTube harmed her mental health. She said that the platforms made her anxious, depressed and insecure about her appearance. The case is being heard in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The lawsuit claims that Meta and Google designed their platforms in ways that encouraged young users to stay online for longer periods to increase profits. Kaley told the court that her heavy use of social media affected her school performance, sleep and relationships with family and friends. She said she depended on social media for validation and connection, even though she experienced online bullying. She testified that when her mother took away her phone, she felt panic and anger. “It’s too hard to be without it,” she said in court, adding that being offline made her feel like she was missing something important.Kaley also said that by age 10 she began harming herself as a way to cope with depression. She told jurors she had suicidal thoughts but never attempted to take her own life.Google and Meta have denied the allegations. They said the evidence does not support the claims and argue that the platforms include tools to protect users, such as comment controls and time limits.The trial has also examined what the companies knew about the impact of social media on children. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg last week testified that the company discussed products for children but did not launch them.