Social Media’s Reckoning

Jury selection kicks off in Los Angeles tomorrow for a trial that both friends and foes of social media are saying could be existential for the social media industry—broadly defined to include Google’s YouTube as well as Meta Platforms and TikTok. The trial centers on a 20-year-old girl from Chico, Calif. who says her social media addiction led to depression and suicidal thoughts. It will be the first of thousands of claims brought by families who say the companies built products designed to be addictive and harmful to young people’s mental health.

It’s a big deal. The legal proceedings offer tech’s critics the best shot they’ve ever had at holding the companies accountable for the harm they’ve allegedly caused young people. If the tech firms lose, the cases could also establish a new legal precedent some say could make it too risky to build internet services.