A Los Angeles courtroom fell silent as a 20-year-old woman described growing up with a phone in her hand — and a storm in her head.
Identified in court as Kaley G.M., the California plaintiff is suing Meta Platforms and YouTube, alleging their platforms burrowed into her childhood and left lasting damage. Her testimony this week painted a portrait of dependency that began before most children learn long division.
She told jurors she started watching YouTube at six. By nine, she was on Instagram. What followed, she said, was not casual scrolling but compulsion — the kind that eroded sleep, grades, friendships and self-worth.
When her mother occasionally confiscated her phone, Kaley testified, the reaction wasn’t mild disappointment. It was panic. Rage. A feeling of disappearance.
“Without it,” she said, describing the device, “I felt like a huge part of me was missing.”
She recounted spiraling anxiety, depression and insecurity about her appearance. At age 10, she began harming herself, calling it a coping mechanism during what she described as overwhelming emotional distress. Though she experienced suicidal thoughts, she told the court she never attempted to take her life.
The lawsuit argues that the architecture of these platforms — autoplay videos, infinite scroll, algorithm-driven recommendations — was engineered to keep young users hooked. Features such as “like” buttons and beauty filters, her legal team contends, intensified teenagers’ hunger for validation while distorting their self-image.
A former psychotherapist who treated Kaley in her early teens testified that heavy social media use was a contributing factor to diagnoses that included social phobia and body dysmorphic disorder.
The companies reject the allegations. Both Meta and YouTube maintain that the evidence does not show their platforms caused her psychological struggles. They argue that tools exist to limit screen time, filter comments and manage harmful interactions — safeguards, they say, were not fully utilized.
The trial has also delved into internal discussions within Meta about younger users. Mark Zuckerberg took the stand earlier, testifying that while the company explored products aimed at children, no such product was ultimately launched.
Defense arguments have pointed beyond the screen. Kaley’s records reference a turbulent home life, including allegations of verbal and physical abuse and her parents’ early divorce. On the stand, she acknowledged painful moments but described her mother as loving and supportive, adding that they remain close.
Now working as a personal shopper and holding an associate degree in communications, Kaley says she hopes to complete a bachelor’s degree — perhaps even work in social media one day. The irony is not lost on anyone in the courtroom.
At the heart of the case is a high-stakes legal question: can technology companies be held responsible for how their platforms are designed, if those designs are shown to substantially contribute to mental health harm?
As governments worldwide debate tighter rules for youth access to social media, this trial may offer one of the clearest tests yet of whether the business model of endless engagement comes with legal consequences.
For Kaley, the issue feels less abstract.
She told jurors that even now, as an adult, she cannot imagine walking away.
“It’s too hard to be without it,” she said.
