Millennials
grew
up
on
internet
that
required
heavy
computers,
monitors,
and
a
dial-up
connection.
Gen
Z,
however,
was
thrown
head
first
into
an
experiment:
how
will
growing
up
with
omnipresent
internet
access
turn
out?
Far
from
the
internet
being
the
thing
you
can
surf
in
your
parent’s
living
room,
they
grew
up
phones
aglow
with
mukbang
videos
to
keep
them
company
as
their
downed
their
french
fries.
And
while
growing
up
as
a
millennial
with
an
open
internet
posed
its
own
ethical
quandaries
(none
of
us
should
have
been
on
Rotten),
the
combination
of
corporate
interests,
social
media,
and
a
lack
of
protective
infrastructure
has
harmed
Gen
Z
in
ways
that
we
are
still
trying
to
figure
out.
Two
tech
giants,
Instagram
and
YouTube,
were
blamed
for
encouraging
addiction
in
young
consumers.
A
recent
jury
verdict
lays
fault
with
them.
NBC
News
has
coverage:
A
jury
found
Meta
and
YouTube
negligent
in
the
design
or
operation
of
their
social
media
platforms,
producing
a
bellwether
verdict
in
the
first
lawsuit
to
take
tech
giants
to
trial
for
social
media
addiction.
The
jury
stated
that
Meta’s
and
YouTube’s
negligence
were
a
substantial
factor
in
causing
harm
to
the
plaintiff,
identified
in
court
by
her
initials,
K.G.M.
…They
awarded
K.G.M.
$3
million
in
compensatory
damages,
finding
Meta
70%
responsible
for
harm
caused
to
the
now
20-year-old
plaintiff,
and
YouTube
responsible
for
30%.
Wow,
Mom
was
right.
It
really
was
that
damned
phone.
She
may
have
left
out
the
bits
about
social
media
algorithms
that
copied
casino
strategies
to
create
psychological
cravings
and
all
the
weight
loss
drug
advertisements,
but
she
knew
what
was
up!
The
jury
found
that
the
plaintiff’s
social
media
use
contributed
to
experiencing
depression,
anxiety,
and
body
dysmorphia.
Parents
in
the
courtroom
were
satisfied
with
the
verdict,
but
Meta
and
Google
(they
own
YouTube)
disagree
and
likely
plan
to
appeal.
It
makes
sense
that
the
companies
would
push
to
appeal
the
decision.
The
$3M
in
compensatory
damages
is
chump
change
for
these
corporate
giants,
but
the
$3M
in
punitives
is
a
whole
different
story
considering
how
many
children
with
stories
similar
to
K.G.M.
could
be
out
there
emboldened
to
get
their
day
in
court.
It
isn’t
like
it
should
be
that
hard
to
prove
harm
in
civil
cases
either
—
you
don’t
have
to
go
far
to
find
stories
of
tech
CEOs
explaining
why
they
limit
their
kids’
YouTube
usage
to
15-20
minutes
a
day.
Be
mindful
of
your
social
media
usage!
And
if
you
know
any
children
who
can’t
seem
to
put
their
phones
down,
it
might
be
a
good
idea
to
be
mindful
for
them.
Jury
Finds
Meta
And
YouTube
Neligent
In
Landmark
Lawsuit
On
Social
Media
Safety
[NBC
News]
Jury
Orders
Meta
And
Google
To
Pay
Woman
$6
Million
In
Social
Media
Addiction
Trial
[NPR]
Chris
Williams
became
a
social
media
manager
and
assistant
editor
for
Above
the
Law
in
June
2021.
Prior
to
joining
the
staff,
he
moonlighted
as
a
minor
Memelord™
in
the
Facebook
group Law
School
Memes
for
Edgy
T14s
.
He
endured
Missouri
long
enough
to
graduate
from
Washington
University
in
St.
Louis
School
of
Law.
He
is
a
former
boat
builder
who
is
learning
to
swim
and
is
interested
in
rhetoric,
Spinozists
and
humor.
Getting
back
in
to
cycling
wouldn’t
hurt
either.
You
can
reach
him
by
email
at [email protected]
and
by
tweet
at @WritesForRent.