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Social media breaks the law - 6th April 2026

A court in California has decided that YouTube and Meta are bad for children. It agreed with a 20-year-old woman who linked her depression to overuse of social media.

As a child, Kaley spent a lot of time on social media. She started watching YouTube at the age of 6. She began using Instagram at the age of 9.

One year later, Kaley became depressed. She began harming herself. She says that the social media apps caused these problems. Kaley also had problems with her family because of social media, and at school.

Over time, these problems became bigger. 13-year-old Kaley worried that she looked ugly. It was also difficult for her to trust people. She says that social media is responsible for this.

The court heard lots of evidence. It questioned social-media bosses and ex-employees. It also questioned experts on social media and mental health.

The court decided that Kaley was right. It agreed that the companies had designed their algorithms to keep children on their apps. This had caused Kaley's addiction to social media.

Meta and YouTube were ordered to pay Kaley $6 million. But both companies are going to challenge the decision.

Politicians seem to agree with the court. They're making new laws to stop children using social media.