A landmark jury trial in Los Angeles is now deciding whether major social media companies — including Meta (Instagram) and YouTube — designed their platforms in ways that contributed to harm among young users.

In court, lawyers have argued that features like endless scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and algorithmic engagement tools were engineered to maximize time on platform — even for children. The companies deny intentionally designing harmful products and dispute that their platforms caused the plaintiff’s mental health struggles.

This case could set an important precedent for whether tech companies can be held responsible for addictive design that impacts minors.

Millions of families have seen firsthand how constant notifications, curated comparison culture, and algorithm-driven feeds affect children’s sleep, confidence, and emotional well-being.

This trial is not about banning social media. It is about accountability for product design choices that may disproportionately affect developing brains.

We respectfully urge the Los Angeles jury to carefully weigh the evidence and recognize that children deserve stronger protections when products are intentionally built to capture attention.

Tell the jury: children’s mental health must come before engagement metrics.