KQED's Forum Are Social Media Companies Responsible for Screen Addiction in Kids?
Jan 30, 2026
Catherine Price, health and science journalist who writes about tech habits, and Cecilia Kang, tech reporter who covers big tech and legal battles. They discuss lawsuits accusing platforms of fostering youth screen addiction. Conversations cover internal company research, addictive design features, generative AI risks for kids, youth-led abstinence movements, and legal strategies to hold companies accountable.
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Plaintiff's Early Social Media Trajectory
- KGM began using YouTube at eight, Instagram at nine, TikTok at ten, and Snapchat at eleven.
- She attributes anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and body dysmorphia to prolonged social media use.
Lawsuits Framed As Product Liability
- Plaintiffs aim to bypass content defenses by treating platforms as defective products that cause personal injury.
- Success in these bellwether tort cases could open major new liability for social media companies.
Internal Research Versus Causation Defense
- Defendants will argue causation is unclear and point to other life factors to rebut harm claims.
- Plaintiffs counter with internal documents showing executives prioritized engagement and debated removing addictive features.
