It’s no secret that the lives of those born in the early 2000s and later on will almost always be different due to those who came before them for several reasons, but one of the most notable is social media.
The internet has been buzzing since Google and Meta were ordered to award a woman in California $3M after she suffered severe depression and anxiety due to her constant use of social media. It was one of the rare moments where tech giants were held accountable for the way their consumers are negatively affected, and other users are hoping it starts a movement. Read more about the situation below.
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Google & Meta Ordered To Pay California Woman $3M In Social Media Lawsuit
There are a few companies and organizations that some people find more intimidating than today's tech giants, like Meta, Google, Amazon, etc., given how much money, influence, and power they have.
Now, history is being made, after Meta and Google faced defeat in a lawsuit filed by a California woman whose addiction to their social media platforms caused negative effects on her health. The plaintiff, referred to as Kaley GM, and her legal team filed a lawsuit that claimed that her frequent use of Meta's and Google's YouTube apps from a young age caused her to develop severe depression and anxiety.
During the trial, the jury concluded that apps like Instagram and YouTube were deliberately made to give people an addiction to them, and that executives from both companies failed to protect their users.
By the time all was said and done, Kaley was awarded $6M from Meta and Google, consisting of $3M in compensatory damages and $3M in punitive damages. Meta, which is run by Mark Zuckerberg, is responsible for 70% of those fees.
Social Media Users React To The Lawsuit & Court Ruling
The lawsuit and ultimate defeat for the mega tech names was a historical and landmark event, as it signifies a potential new era of holding them more accountable.
Many were excited to see the news, as over the last two decades, it's become more and more apparent through research how social media, 'doomscrolling,' etc., can be bad for mental health and a person's development over time. Now, instead of users being shamed, the conversation is beginning to shift towards the alleged wrongdoings of the people in charge.
On these social media platforms, like Instagram, users shared their thoughts on the lawsuit and commented on how they think it should turn into something bigger.
"Should've been a class-action lawsuit," commented a user, as another who shared the same sentiment asked, "Who's in?"
"Can we all sue?" asked another.
"Meta owes us all money," wrote a user, as another commented that Meta and Google are "actively ruining humanity."
"They're not going to get away with it," they continued.
