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LOS ANGELES () — A 20-year-old woman took the stand Thursday in a landmark trial accusing major tech companies of intentionally designing social media platforms to be addictive for children and teens.
The woman – identified in court as KGM – is the key plaintiff in the case, which alleges she began using social media as young as age 6 and became dependent on the apps.
Her lawyers say that dependence contributed to years of anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia.
In testimony Thursday in a downtown Los Angeles Superior Court courtroom, KGM described the emotional impact of not receiving likes, comments or subscribers on platforms like YouTube and Instagram.
“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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