Feb 26 - A California woman, identified in court as Kaley G.M., is expected to testify on Thursday in a Los Angeles trial where she will describe how using Meta Platforms Inc.'s Instagram and Google's YouTube as a child harmed her mental health. Prosecutors are not involved; the case is a civil suit brought by the plaintiff against the platforms.
The plaintiff has said she began using Instagram at age 9 and YouTube at age 6. In court filings and testimony, she has attributed subsequent depression and body dysmorphia to her experience on those services. Her attorneys contend the companies sought to profit by making their products compelling to young children despite an awareness that social media could damage mental health.
Her appearance on the witness stand follows testimony the previous day from her former psychotherapist, who told the court that adolescent social media usage was a "contributing factor" in the woman's mental health difficulties. The therapist was called by the plaintiff's lawyers to help frame the next phase of the trial, which will probe whether and how the woman's childhood engagement with social platforms affected her well-being.
Earlier in the trial, questioning centered on what the companies knew about social media's impact on children and on corporate strategies aimed at younger users. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified that the company discussed but never launched products for children. The companies involved have denied the plaintiff's allegations, saying the evidence does not support the claims made against them.
To obtain a legal victory, the plaintiff's lawyers must persuade the jury that the design or operation of the platforms was a substantial factor in causing or worsening the woman's mental health problems. The trial is being watched as part of a wider global reaction to concerns about youth exposure to social media; the court heard that Australia has implemented a ban on under-16s using such platforms and that other countries are weighing similar restrictions.
Separately in material presented alongside coverage of the case, a question appears asking: "Is GOOGL a bargain right now?" That promotional line was accompanied by a reference to a Fair Value calculator described as using a mix of 17 valuation models to assess stocks.
The proceedings now move into detailed testimony from the plaintiff as jurors and outside observers await whether her account will satisfy the legal standard that the platforms' specific design or operational choices substantially contributed to her mental health decline.