Table of Contents
A jury in California made a big choice. The jury said Meta and YouTube hurt a young woman named Kaley.
Kaley is 20 years old now. She started using these apps when she was a child. Kaley said the apps made her addicted. This caused her to feel sad and worried. She also felt bad about her body.
The jury said the companies were not careful. The companies knew the apps were dangerous for kids. They did not tell anyone. Now, the companies must pay Kaley money. They must pay about $6 million total. Meta must pay more money than YouTube.
This is a very important story. There are many more cases like this one. This might make the internet safer for children. The companies might have to change how they work.
Meta and YouTube are not happy. They say they did nothing wrong. They say they have tools to keep kids safe. But the jury saw secret papers. These papers showed the companies knew about the risks. One paper said photo filters were bad for girls.
Vocabulary
- Jury – A group of people who listen to a court case; people who decide if someone is guilty or not. ⚖️
- Choice – A decision; picking one thing from many things; an option.
- Hurt – To cause pain; to make someone feel bad; to damage or break something. 🤕
- App (application) – A computer program on a phone or tablet; software; a tool for your smartphone.
- Addicted – Cannot stop doing something; needing something all the time; a strong habit that is hard to break.
- Cause – To make something happen; the reason why something starts.
- Worried – Feeling nervous; thinking that something bad will happen; afraid.
- Body – The physical part of a person; your arms, legs, and head. 🧍
- Dangerous – Not safe; something that can hurt you; risky. ⚠️
- Million – 1,000,000 = one million
- Total – The whole amount; everything added together; the final number.
- Case – A problem for a court; a legal matter; a situation for a judge and jury.
- Might – Maybe; possible; something that can happen but is not certain.
- Do nothing wrong – To be innocent; to follow the rules; to not make a mistake; be good
- Tool – Something used to do a job; a helpful object or feature. 🛠️
- Keep safe – To protect; to stop someone from getting hurt; to take care of. 🛡️
- Secret – Something hidden; something that other people are not allowed to know. 🤫
- Paper – A document; a page with writing; a report. 📄
- Show – To let someone see; to explain with facts; to make clear.
- Risk – A chance of danger; the possibility that something bad will happen.
- Photo filter – A tool to change how a picture looks; a way to make photos look different or better. 📸
Discussion Questions
- Do you think social media is dangerous for children? Why or why not?
- Is $6 million a fair amount of money for Kaley? Is it too much or too little?
- Who is more responsible for a child’s safety online: the parents or the companies?
- Do you think photo filters make people feel bad about their bodies?
- Should there be a minimum age (like 13 or 16) to use apps like Meta and YouTube?
- Are you “addicted” to your phone? How many hours do you use it every day?
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
Original Story
Fill-in-the-Blank Listening Practice
A jury in California _____ a big choice. The jury said Meta and YouTube hurt a young _____ named Kaley.
Kaley is 20 years old now. She _____ using these apps when she was a child. Kaley said the _____ made her addicted. This caused _____ to feel sad and worried. She also felt bad about her _____.
The jury said the companies _____ not careful. The companies knew the apps were dangerous for _____. They did not tell anyone. _____, the companies must pay Kaley money. They _____ pay about $6 million total. Meta must _____ more money than YouTube.
This is a _____ important story. There are many more cases like this _____. This might make the internet safer for children. _____ companies might have to change how they _____.
Meta and YouTube are not happy. They say _____ did nothing wrong. They say they have tools to _____ kids safe. But the jury saw _____ papers. These papers showed the companies _____ about the risks. One paper said _____ filters were bad for _____.
