Young woman says she was on social media all day long as a child in landmark addiction trial

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A young woman Fight against social media giants He took the stand Thursday to testify about his experience using the platforms growing up, saying he was on social media “all day long” as a kid.

The now 20-year-old, identified in court documents as FGM, says his early use of social media made him dependent on technology and increased his depression and suicidal thoughts. Meta and YouTube are the two remaining defendants in the case. TikTok and Snap reached an agreement.

The case, along with two others, has been named a leading case, meaning its outcome could affect how thousands of similar lawsuits against social media companies play out.

KGM, or Kaley as her lawyers called her during the hearing, started using YouTube at the age of 6 and Instagram at the age of 9.

Kaley took the stand in a pink floral dress and beige cardigan and said she was “very nervous” after her attorney, Mark Lanier, asked how she was Thursday morning.

Lanier displayed childhood photos of Kaley and her family and asked about her positive memories of her upbringing on a quiet cul-de-sac in Chico, California. He talked about themed birthday parties, trips to Six Flags, and his mother’s consistent efforts to make his childhood special.

Still, Kaley’s relationship with her mother was challenging at times. Kaley said most of their arguments involved the use of her phone.

It highlighted a tumultuous home life for both the defendants and the plaintiff, Kaley. Her lawyers say she was targeted as a vulnerable user, but lawyers representing Meta and Google-owned YouTube argued that Kaley turned to their platforms as a coping mechanism or a way to escape mental health issues.

When asked about the allegations that her mother hit, abused and neglected her, Kaley said, “She wasn’t perfect, but she was doing her best,” and explained that she did not think her mother would describe her past behavior as abuse or neglect today. Kaley, who works as a personal shopper at Walmart, still lives with her mother in the house where she grew up.

During her childhood, Kaley created multiple accounts on both Instagram and YouTube so she could like and comment on her posts. He also said that he would “buy” likes through a platform where others could like their photos and receive a large number of likes in return. “It made me look popular,” he said.

Kaley was specifically asked about features that plaintiffs allege were intentionally designed to be addictive, including notifications. He said these notifications on both Instagram and YouTube gave him “a rush.” He would pick them up during the day and go to the bathroom to check on them during school; It’s something he still does.

Kaley said she uses YouTube less now, but believes she was addicted to YouTube before. “Every time I tried to set boundaries for myself, it didn’t work and I couldn’t break free,” she said.

Filters on Instagram, especially filters that can change one’s cosmetic appearance, were also of great importance in this case and were also a constant element of Kaley’s use. Lanier and his colleagues unfurled a nearly 35-foot canvas banner featuring photos Kaley shared on Instagram. He said “almost all” of the photos were filtered.

The jury was also shown Instagram posts and YouTube videos Kaley shared during her childhood and youth. In one video, which tapped into a popular trend at the time and shared a nightly routine, young Kaley was seen scrolling through her phone, taking a shower, removing her makeup, and then returning to her phone and accessing Instagram. In another video, he was seen saying he was “crying with joy” after passing 100 subscribers on YouTube, but then quickly looked back at his appearance and apologized for his “ugly appearance”.

“I look so fat in this shirt,” young Kaley says in the video.

Meta argued that Kaley faced significant challenges before using social media. Paul Schmidt, the company’s lawyer, he said earlier this month The central question in the case is whether the platforms were a significant factor in Kayley’s mental health struggles. He spent much of his time reviewing the plaintiff’s medical records during opening statements, emphasizing that the plaintiff had experienced many difficult situations in his childhood, including emotional abuse, body image issues, and bullying.

Kaley said that before she started using social media and filters, she did not experience the negative emotions associated with her body dysmorphia diagnosis.

Kaley was asked about her highest Instagram usage exceeding 16 hours in a day. “I always felt like I wanted to be on it, and I felt like I was missing out if I wasn’t on it,” he said.

He said that when he tried to stop using the platforms, he was often unsuccessful.

“I was at it all day, every day,” he said.

Victoria Burke, a former therapist Kaley worked with in 2019, testified Wednesday, and Burke said her social media and her sense of self are “intimately linked,” adding that what happens on the platforms “can make or break her mood.”

An attorney for Meta extensively reviewed notes from Burke’s sessions with Kaley during cross-examination that lasted nearly three hours. It highlighted Kaley’s personal negative experiences with bullying, other sources of school-related stress and anxiety, and problems she had with her family. Mentions of social media in the notes were mostly limited to Kaley saying she didn’t have a place at home, at school, or among her peers, but felt like she had a place to be seen on social media.

Burke’s treatment of Kaley lasted approximately six months and occurred seven years ago.

The case has been the subject of intense attention, both among advocacy groups lobbying for better child safety protections, and the tech world, with a high-profile statement from the head of Instagram. Adam Mosseri and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

“I don’t know what to call that,” Zuckerberg said during his testimony, when asked if people tend to use more of something that’s addictive.

“I don’t think that applies here,” he continued. He said he believes in the “fundamental assumption” that “if something is valuable, people will use it more because it is useful to them.” Mosseri also said he does not believe people can be clinically addicted to social media platforms.

The trial is expected to last several weeks, and the jury’s conclusion could shape the outcome of a series of similar lawsuits against social media companies. Meta also faces a different situation Trial in New Mexico.