Social media addiction trial takes new turn with therapist's testimony
The Hindu
Victoria Burke, the licensed therapist, appeared as a witness in a landmark civil trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court
The former psychotherapist of a California woman suing Meta’s Instagram and Alphabet’s YouTube, claiming a childhood addiction to the platforms damaged her mental health, testified on Tuesday that adolescent social media usage was a contributing factor.
Victoria Burke, the licensed therapist, appeared as a witness in a landmark civil trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court testing whether Big Tech can be held liable for the design of apps widely blamed for fueling a mental health crisis among young people.
Burke was called by lawyers for the plaintiff, known in court only as Kaley G.M., to set the stage for the next phase of the trial exploring whether and how Kaley’s engagement with social media as a child affected her wellbeing.
Kaley is expected to take the stand on Thursday once Burke completes her testimony.
The case is part of a broader global backlash against social media companies over alleged harms to children and teens. Australia has banned under-16s from such platforms, and other countries are considering similar restrictions. The tech firms deny the allegations and say users must be at least 13 to register.
Burke was working as a therapy trainee for a school district when she diagnosed and treated then 13-year-old Kaley for several months in 2019.
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