Instagram, a free social media platform, was launched in 2010 and acquired by Meta in 2012. With over 2 billion monthly active users, Instagram is famous for editing, posting, communicating and above all viewing other’s content. Following the initial launch and for many years after there was little knowledge or awareness of the detrimental effects this app was causing. However, in recent years, there have been increasing claims that Instagram has too few safeguards around self-harm and suicide related content which leads to increasing damage to young people’s mental health.
At the beginning of February, a case was brought to a state court in Los Angeles on whether Instagram (and YouTube) were structured to have dangerously habit-forming features that were designed to addict and damage mental health. The defendant, who goes by Kaley or K.G.M for anonymity reasons, filed the lawsuit in 2023 aged 17. In the opening argument presented by K.G. M’s lawyers, they claimed their client had suffered from mental health issues as a result of her social media addiction, which Instagram (and YouTube) were culpable for. However, in a rebuttal from Meta and YouTube’s lawyers, it was said that Kaley’s addiction stemmed from the trauma she had faced in life, rather than the companies’ actions.
This has been the defence's argument throughout the case, and they have backed themselves using experts from Meta to offer their own experiences. For example, Adam Mosseri, who has been the head of Instagram for nearly a decade testified. In his testimony he stated that Instagram must take all necessary actions to protect young people using the app. However, he placed emphasis on the distinction between clinical addiction and problematic use and did not believe someone could specify how much was too much. In addition, co-founder of Facebook/Meta Mark Zuckerberg also testified in this landmark trial. Emails used in the trial exposed that in 2015 Zuckerberg’s goals were to ‘increase time spent on the app by 12%’. In 2017, Zuckerberg specified in an email that the ‘priority of the company was teens’. When questioned, Zuckerberg stated that time spent on the app was no longer a main focus. He also stressed that he had worked for many years to work on ‘problematic use’ of the app as ‘it’s the right thing to do’. The trial will continue for a couple of weeks, but when the verdict is delivered, it will be a groundbreaking moment in regard to the relationship between social media and the public.
Whilst this case may create a fundamental precedent for keeping children safe online, it is not the first. In fact, it is one of hundreds. Many young people (and adults) have battled with their mental health, and often this problem is exacerbated by apps such as Instagram and YouTube. In some cases, people lose their battle with mental health. Many parents of teenagers who have taken their own lives have attended the trial including Lori Schott. Schott’s daughter Annalee committed suicide at the age of 18. When interviewed she said ‘these platforms can change. It wouldn’t take long to change the algorithmic content, so kids aren’t killing themselves. Is it that hard to do, Mr Zuckerberg’?
Whatever the outcome of the trial, the key takeaway is; something needs to change.