BOSTON — In a landmark decision Wednesday, a jury found Google and Meta liable in making their social media platforms, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, addictive to children.
“I do think this is a wake-up call for parents and also gives them some evidence to show their kids, look, this is a significant problem,” said Dr. Ellen Braaten, child psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Dr. Ellen Braaten says it’s no surprise social media use has a negative impact on a child’s mental health, but now, these companies are being held legally responsible for it, for the first time.
“It does affect kids more negatively just like lots of other things do, like alcohol like marijuana use, like different other sorts of substances that adults can use them just fine, but kids can’t because their brains are still developing and because they don’t have great decision-making capabilities,” said Dr. Braaten.
Cybersecurity expert Robert Siciliano says this court case proves there’s a design flaw in these platforms to make them more addictive.
“Features like Infinite Scroll and Auto Play are the digital equivalent of what they call the tobacco spike, it’s engineered to bypass that child’s or even adult’s impulse control,” said Siciliano, CEO of ProtectNowLLC.com.
The jury also found these companies didn’t provide enough warning to users about these potential dangers.
The plaintiff in this case says she became addicted to social media at a young age, and it led to her mental health struggles.
So now Meta and Google must pay the plaintiff millions of dollars for the harm their platforms caused.
The plaintiff also sued TikTok and Snap, but those companies settled before the trial.
“This is finally an opportunity for parents to see, this is a big deal, this is harmful to your kids and you as parents now armed with that information, need to regulate your child’s intake of this social media,” said Siciliano.
Experts say this is a big reminder for parents to limit their child’s social media use.
Dr. Braaten says one thing you can try is to keep cell phones out of bedrooms.
As for this lawsuit, Google and Meta both say they disagree with this verdict and may explore the option to appeal.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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