Parents hold vigil for child deaths ahead of Los Angeles social media trial

Bereaved parents and advocates gathered outside a downtown Los Angeles courthouse on Thursday for a vigil honoring children who have died, they say, due to social media harms, ahead of the social media addiction trial set to begin next week.

The landmark bellwether trial involves a now-19-year-old unnamed woman, known only in the proceedings as KGM, who claims that using social media from a young age caused her to become addicted to the technology, which led her to develop depression and suicidal thoughts. 

Social media giants Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat are accused of intentionally designing features, like infinite scrolling, at the expense of the mental health of youth. TikTok and Snap recently settled, but the trial against Meta and YouTube continues.

Legal experts have stated that the outcome of this case could impact more than a thousand other similar cases dating back to 2021, serving as a test case to determine what damages, if any, may be awarded to plaintiffs.

Victoria Hinks, from Marin County, attended the vigil outside the downtown Los Angeles Spring Street courthouse in honor of her 16-year-old daughter Alexandra, who took her own life.

"It's ironic that what started off as a tool for connection ended up being something that isolated our kids more and more," Hinks said.

She said she hopes for accountability, justice, and that evidence will prove the companies target youth. "There needs to be regulations…(and) accountability that every other industry is held to, the same standards," she said.

This argument, if successful, could sidestep the companies' First Amendment shield and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects tech companies from liability for material posted on their platforms.

Katherine Townsend, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, lost her 16-year-old daughter, Saniah, after she died by suicide following an addiction to social media, which Townsend said deteriorated her self-worth and worsened her anxiety and depression.

"It's an addiction, it's dopamine, it's a feel-good. So instead of going outside running to make yourself feel good, you go online to get that dopamine," she said.

Another mother at the vigil whose 13-year-old daughter took her own life after suffering from cyber abuse said the social media platforms are intentionally addicting for children. "I am hoping that the world will learn about the business model of these companies...because that has been hidden up until now," Christine McComas of Maryland said. "Kids are seeing things and being fed things that they didn't even know they were looking for."

She said her daughter, Grace, was not at risk. "She was a beautiful human being from the get-go. She should still be here," McComas said.

Executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, are expected to testify at the trial, which will last six to eight weeks. Experts have drawn similarities to the Big Tobacco trials that led to a 1998 settlement requiring cigarette companies to pay billions in healthcare costs and restrict marketing targeting minors.