HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – A Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube liable Tuesday in a case alleging their platforms helped fuel a young woman’s social media addiction.
An addiction she says contributed to years of anxiety and depression. Her attorneys are seeking millions in damages, adding to a growing wave of lawsuits aimed at holding massive social media companies accountable for harm to children online.
The decision comes as Meta fights other high-profile cases around the country. In New Mexico on Tuesday, a jury ordered the company to pay $375 million after finding it failed to protect children from predators. Meta has appealed that ruling.
The question at the center of both cases: should social media companies be responsible for what happens to users especially children after they log on?
Local experts say the legal momentum reflects a broader concern that the effects of social media on developing minds are no longer just a parenting issue, but a public health one.
Dr. Patrick Quirk with Longwood Psychological Center said repeated exposure to negative content on media can shape how children see themselves and the world.
“The sad tendency in a lot of social media is it begins to perseverate on the negative and it really over focuses on the negative and it just loops through that over and over again,” Quirk said. “And what happens with children is that becomes their reality.”
Quirk said he’s surprised it took this long for these kinds of claims to reach juries, and he expects more cases to follow as research and public scrutiny continue to grow.
Legal experts say the legal battles are likely far from over.
Huntsville attorney and law professor Mark McDaniel believes the lawsuits will multiply—but he says many could ultimately face major hurdles, including constitutional questions and federal protections for online platforms.
“The situation you have now—this is one individual,” McDaniel said. “You’re going to have thousands and thousands of these cases filed. Bottom line to it is it’s going to end up in the United States Supreme Court. And if I had to say, I’d say they may rule on behalf of the social media companies and say it’s a violation of their First Amendment right.”
As the legal battles unfold, Quirk said parents can still take steps now—setting limits and staying involved in what kids consume online.
“I think people have had sort of a fatalistic perspective on, well kids are just going to do what they’re going to do,” Quirk said. “Well not if you don’t let them. Not if you take some control of that—it’ll be different.”
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