Main roads
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The jury found that social networks harmed the mental health of a teenager
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Both Meta and YouTube were found negligent in the landmark case
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The 20-year-old reported significant anxiety, depression, and low self-worth
FRIDAY, March 27, 2026 (NewsDay News) – What happens when traffic never stops? For one young woman, it led to it anxietydepression and loss of self-worth.
In one landmark case, a jury found that Meta and YouTube were negligent in the design and use of their social platforms and contributed to the harm of a 20-year-old woman, identified in court as KGM.
She testified that almost non-stop use of the platforms causes depression, anxiety and body image issues.
He said it “really affected my worth”.
The judges agreed. They found that companies failed to warn users about potential risks and that their platforms were a significant factor in harm. NBC News reported.
The lawsuit is the first to address claims that social media can be addictive and harmful to mental health.
The jury awarded KGM $3 million, finding Meta 70% liable and YouTube 30% liable.
The lawsuit is among more than 1,600 filed against tech companies by more than 350 families and 250 school districts.
KGM lawyers called this decision a “historic moment”. NBC News said.
“But this sentence is bigger than one case,” the lawyers said. “For years, social media companies have profited from targeting children and hiding their addictive and dangerous design features. Today’s verdict is a referendum — from juries to the entire industry — that responsibility has passed.”
KGM said she feels compelled to stay on social media all the time and worries about what to do if she decides to log off.
One of his deputies, Mark Laniersaid he hopes the case will bring more transparency so the public can see that these companies are orchestrating the drug addiction crisis in our country and indeed the world.
Both companies plan to appeal.
“Adolescent mental health is very complex and cannot be pinned down to one programme,” said a Meta spokesperson. “We will continue to protect ourselves vigorously as each case is different and we are confident in our record of protecting teenagers online.”
Jose Castaneda is a spokesperson for Google, which owns YouTube. He said the case “misunderstood YouTube as a responsible streaming platform, not a social networking site.”
Representatives for Meta, whose Instagram platform has come under fire, said other factors may have contributed to KGM’s “profound” struggles, including “severe emotional and physical abuse” in her life, rather than social media.
In a separate case, a jury in New Mexico recently found Meta liable for failing to protect children from online predators. In this case, the company was ordered to pay 375 million dollars. Meta plans to appeal.
For years, technology companies have been protected from lawsuits by provisions added to the Communications Act of 1934. Titled Section 230, it states that online companies are not liable for the content posted by their users.
Experts say the ruling could lead to similar cases across the country.
“Families seeking justice in other jurisdictions can now point to this result as evidence that these claims deserve to be heard and taken seriously.” Matt Bergmanfounding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center, said.
More information
Stanford Law School has more information Social media and mental health.
SOURCE: NBC NewsMarch 25, 2026
What does this mean for you?
Heavy use of social media can affect mental health, especially for teenagers.
