Meta Youth Social Media Addiction Trial Begins in California
Did Meta knowingly harm children for profit or are states waging an evidence-free smear campaign against the tech giant?
Above: Attorney Paul Schmidt, representing Meta, arrives at the courthouse in Oakland, California, on Aug. 18. Image credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Meta knowingly designed Facebook and Instagram to hook kids, sacrificing their sleep, school performance and mental health just to rack up revenue. The evidence is clear — Meta knew its platforms were harming young users and lied about the risks anyway. Holding Meta accountable is the only way to stop a tech giant from profiting off a generation's suffering.
Narrative B
The states are engaging in a smear campaign against Meta. Addiction is a clinical term that doesn't apply to social media habits, however harmful, and studies are inconclusive on the effects of long-term use amongst adolescents, confounded by preexisting mental health conditions and family structure. This case is not founded upon evidence.
