Lembke, medical director of Stanford University’s addiction medicine program and author of Dopamine Nation, walked jurors through the “four C’s” of addiction: loss of control, cravings, compulsions, and consequences. She explained that adolescent brains are “especially vulnerable” due to incomplete development of the prefrontal cortex, leading to a disconnect between rational thought and impulsive behavior. “They’re not fully developed,” she said. “There’s a lack of communication between the brakes and the accelerator, which is why teenagers will often take risks that they shouldn’t and fail to appreciate future consequences. It’s why they’re more vulnerable to addictions.”
Social Media ‘Drugifies’ Connection, Expert Testifies
The lawsuit alleges that Instagram and YouTube intentionally designed features to maximize user engagement, even at the expense of children’s mental health.
- The trial focuses on whether Meta and Google knowingly designed addictive platforms.
- Dr. Lembke testified that social media exploits vulnerabilities in adolescent brains.
- Plaintiffs allege platforms contribute to anxiety, depression, and self-harm.
- Defense attorneys argue pre-existing conditions are to blame for the plaintiff’s struggles.
Testifying for the plaintiff, identified as K.G.M., who alleges she became compulsively attached to social media as a child and suffered lasting harm, Lembke stated that Instagram and YouTube are inherently addictive due to features like autoplay, notifications, and “endless scroll.” She emphasized that easy access is built into the platforms’ design, despite company claims to the contrary. “Instagram and YouTube provide 24/7, effectively limitless, frictionless access to their products, with ineffective age verification and ineffective parental controls,” Lembke told jurors. “It’s clear parents, by and large, are not using them because they’re difficult to navigate, and kids can get around them.”
Lembke added that she has treated a significant number of patients struggling with social media addiction. The doctor’s testimony came on the second day of the trial, which is a bellwether case in a larger mass-tort proceeding involving thousands of plaintiffs. The outcome will not directly bind other cases, but will set a precedent.
On Monday, attorney Mark Lanier delivered his opening statement, arguing that Meta and Google created “digital casinos” deliberately marketed to children. He likened the swipe-to-refresh function to a slot machine lever, offering a “dopamine hit” in the form of likes and unexpected videos. “They didn’t just build apps, they built traps,” Lanier told jurors. “They didn’t want users. They wanted addicts. They didn’t want time spent, they wanted control. This was no accident. This was addiction by design.”
Meta’s lead lawyer, Paul Schmidt, countered that the plaintiff’s struggles stemmed from tragic family circumstances, including witnessing domestic violence at age three and experiencing anxiety and depression related to her parents’ divorce. He pointed to the plaintiff receiving an iPod Touch at age six and subsequent devices with limited parental oversight. Schmidt also noted that the plaintiff’s therapist previously testified that she had not reported social media addiction as a concern. Meta, he argued, has implemented tools like time-management features and parental controls to address problematic use.
YouTube’s lawyer, Luis Li, highlighted the platform’s widespread use, stating it has surpassed cable television and even Netflix as the largest streaming service in the United States. He noted that 94 percent of teachers utilize YouTube in their lessons and that the platform returns over half of its advertising revenue to creators. Li also pointed to the launch of YouTube Kids in 2015 as an effort to steer children toward age-appropriate content. He echoed Schmidt’s argument that the plaintiff received numerous devices throughout her childhood, suggesting parental decisions, rather than platform design, were responsible for any harm.
Lembke testified that children facing existing challenges are particularly susceptible to addictive social media use. “We are very prone to narratives that say kids who use a lot of social media are kids who would have been messed up anyway,” she said. “The truth of the matter is that even if troubled kids from troubled homes face challenges no matter what, their addictive use of social media is going to make those challenges worse.”
The doctor also discussed an internal Meta document, dated Oct. 29, 2020, which identified users with “existing vulnerabilities” in four groups: “Adolescents; Female; Mental health challenges; and Low socio-economic status.” Lembke characterized this as a recognition of a bidirectional feedback loop common in addiction medicine: struggling with depression increases the risk of addiction, and addiction exacerbates depression.
Lembke further testified that children and teenagers often struggle to recognize addiction in themselves, requiring the assistance of a trained therapist. She also described the severe withdrawal symptoms some young people experience when their devices are taken away, including psychological and even physical distress, and in some cases, suicidal ideation. “Sadly, we’re seeing more and more young people who experience not just psychological distress but physical distress when their devices are taken away,” she said. “Some become suicidal in the immediate aftermath and have to be hospitalized. We are seeing this, and we’re seeing it more often.”
Lembke is expected to continue her testimony on Friday. Instagram head Adam Mosseri is scheduled to testify on Wednesday, and Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg is expected to take the stand next week.
