She spent 16 hours on Instagram. It's up to a jury to decide if Meta is to blame
A landmark lawsuit will set the stage for thousands of people who say social media platforms are intentionally addictive.
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Notable Quotes
"They hid the research. They knew that it was addictive. They gave us a false sense of security."
— Lori Schott , Activist
"We wrote up this agreement about screen time with his school counsellors, what he had to get accomplished in order to get an allotted amount of screen time."
— Aaron Ping , Activist
Key People
A father whose son took his own life, contributing to the discussion on social media’s effects.
A woman whose case against social media companies focused on the impact of social media on her mental health.
A mother who attributes her daughter's suicide to the impact of Instagram.
Mark Zuckerberg is the founder of Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook.
Locations
All Coverage
A landmark lawsuit will set the stage for thousands of people who say social media platforms are intentionally addictive.
Similar Stories
Related coverage based on topic and tags
Meta hooked children on Facebook and Instagram, court hears
Meta argued social media addiction does not exist, as a trial stemming from a major lawsuit brought by US states got under way.
August 18, 2026 at 10:11 PMIf Meta loses this trial, Instagram and Facebook could change forever
Thirty US states have sued Meta to force an overhaul of its platforms for young users.
August 16, 2026 at 11:27 PMFormer Meta engineer resumes testimony in landmark trial over social media's harm to young users - reuters.com
Former Meta engineer resumes testimony in landmark trial over social media's harm to young users reuters.com
August 19, 2026 at 11:00 AMMeta faces 29-state trial that could reshape Instagram and Facebook - Reuters
Meta faces 29-state trial that could reshape Instagram and Facebook Reuters
August 18, 2026 at 11:34 AMHow the Meta trial could change social media for young people
The trial stems from a lawsuit filed in 2023 by 29 US states, in which they claim numerous violations of federal and state privacy laws for children.
August 18, 2026 at 04:24 PMMeta, 29 states head to court in biggest test yet of youth social media litigation - Reuters
Meta, 29 states head to court in biggest test yet of youth social media litigation Reuters
August 12, 2026 at 10:43 AM