Beware! Social media addiction as dangerous as drug addiction, court finds design of Meta, Insta, YouTube guilty

• A courtroom crash

• What exactly is a social media addiction case?

• What exactly is internet addiction?

Internet An integral part of our lives, children are increasingly addicted to using it. Although the Internet has a positive side, it directly affects you and your children. On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, a jury in a Los Angeles court in the United States handed down a verdict that resulted in heavy punishments for Facebook, Instagram’s parent company Meta, and Google’s YouTube company. For the first time, a court has found these tech companies guilty of ‘addictive design’, meaning they deliberately made their apps addictive.

Companies weave a digital trap

The court clearly stated that these apps are designed to keep children and youth away from them. If you too have been scrolling the reels all night for no reason, now it has been proven that this is not just your weakness, but a digital trap woven by these companies.

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Kelly’s legal battle will open your eyes

At the center of this entire legal battle is a 20-year-old woman named Kelly (KGM). According to reports, Kelly started using YouTube at the age of 6 and Instagram at the age of 9. Kelly’s lawyers argued in court that the apps influenced her mind from an early age, causing her to suffer from chronic stress and depression.

After nearly 40 hours of deliberation, the jury concluded that Meta and YouTube had deliberately designed their platforms in a dangerous manner. The court ordered Kelly to pay a total of $6 million (roughly Rs. 50 crore) in damages. 70% of this amount will be given to Meta and 30% to YouTube. While this is a small sum for these multi-billion dollar companies, the real fear is that thousands of other families around the world could also sue these companies.

How do ordinary users get caught in this digital web?

Tech companies often get away with claiming that they only provide the platform and are not responsible for its content. But this time the situation was different. Advocates argue that features such as “infinite scroll” (a never-ending feed) and “autoplay” (videos that automatically start one after the other) act like slot machines in a casino.

The jury agreed that the features were designed to ‘hook’ innocent children and keep them glued to their screens for hours. Meta’s internal documents submitted to the court revealed that even the company’s senior executives knew their platform could be harmful to children, yet they made no changes out of profit.

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What does this mean for Indian households and investors?

India is the world’s largest market for Instagram and YouTube. Interestingly, even the Government of India’s recent Economic Survey 2025-26 has raised serious concerns about ‘digital addiction’. The survey recommended setting an age limit for children and curbing these ‘addictive features’ in apps. After this US decision, the possibility of more stringent laws under the Digital India Act has increased in India.

It is also an important signal for stock market investors. Just as the shares of cigarette companies fell after major lawsuits a few years ago, tech companies may also be on bad days. This week, a New Mexico court fined Meta $375 million (roughly Rs. 3100 crore) in another child safety case.

What will happen next? Will your phone change?

Meta and Google have said they will appeal the decision to the High Court. But according to experts, now the apps will have to change their design. In the future, you may see a ‘finish line’ on your phone, where the app itself says, “That’s it for today.” The era of leaving children alone in this digital world without any restrictions is coming to an end. Companies now have to prove that their apps are safe for your child’s mental health.