Did Insta, YouTube deliberately build addictive tools to trap kids?
- Team TOI Plus
- Updated: Feb 19, 2026, 15:09 IST IST
When teenagers spend vast stretches of their day scrolling through social media, does that amount to addiction, or is it merely heavy use — something we can all be accused of today. That deceptively simple question is now being tested in open court for the first time, with Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg facing sustained questioning before a jury over how his company designs and polices platforms used by millions of young people.
The showdown in a Los Angeles courtroom — described by lawyers as a landmark social media trial — could shape how US courts assess responsibility for the mental health impact of platforms that now dominate young people’s lives. While the case is unfolding in the US, its outcome is being closely watched by regulators and digital policy experts globally, including in India, where debates over platform accountability, algorithmic harms and youth mental health are intensifying.
The showdown in a Los Angeles courtroom — described by lawyers as a landmark social media trial — could shape how US courts assess responsibility for the mental health impact of platforms that now dominate young people’s lives. While the case is unfolding in the US, its outcome is being closely watched by regulators and digital policy experts globally, including in India, where debates over platform accountability, algorithmic harms and youth mental health are intensifying.
