Table of Contents
A jury in California recently decided that Meta and YouTube are responsible for harming a young woman’s mental health.
The woman, named Kaley, is now 20 years old. She started using these platforms when she was a child. Kaley said the websites were designed to make her addicted. Because of this addiction, she suffered from anxiety and had negative thoughts about her body.
The jury decided that Meta and YouTube were negligent. This means they did not care enough about the safety of their users. The companies knew that their platforms were dangerous but did not warn anyone.
The jury ordered the companies to pay Kaley $3 million for her injuries. The companies must also pay about $3 million more in penalties. The jury decided that Meta was responsible for 70% of the harm, while YouTube was responsible for 30%.
This is a very important case because there are more than 1,500 similar lawsuits. This result might force social media companies to change how they work, especially for children. It could also cost the companies billions of dollars in the future.
Meta and YouTube both disagree with the decision. They plan to ask the court to change it. Meta says that mental health is a complex issue and cannot be blamed on one app. YouTube says it is a video platform, not a social media site. Both companies said they have many safety tools to protect teenagers.
However, during the lawsuit, internal documents showed that the companies knew about the risks. For example, Meta experts warned that certain photo filters could be harmful, but the company used them anyway.
Many parents hope this court decision will make the internet safer for all children.
Vocabulary
- Jury – A group of people who listen to a court case and decide if someone is guilty or innocent ⚖️
- Recently – A short time ago; not long ago; lately.
- Decide – To make a choice; to pick an answer; to finish thinking and choose.
- Responsible – To be the cause of something; to be the person who must take care of something.
- Harm – To hurt someone; to cause pain; damage; injury.
- Mental health – How you feel in your mind; if you are happy, sad, or stressed; the health of your brain and feelings. 🧠
- Platform – A website or an app; a place online where people go to see things or talk to others.
- Design – How something is made; the way something looks and works; a plan for a product.
- Addicted – When you cannot stop doing or using something; hooked; needing something all the time.
- Addiction – The problem of not being able to stop using something; a very strong habit that is hard to break.
- Suffer – To feel pain; to feel very sad; to have a bad experience or a sickness.
- Anxiety – A feeling of being very worried or scared about the future; stress; nervousness. 😰
- Negative – Bad; not helpful; thinking about the bad parts of something.
- Thoughts – Ideas in your head; things you think about; opinions. 💭
- Negligent – Not being careful; failing to take care of someone or something; being lazy about safety.
- User – A person who uses a product, a website, or an app.
- Warn – To tell someone about a danger; to say that something bad might happen. ⚠️
- Order – To tell someone they must do something; a command; an official rule.
- Million – 1,000,000 = one million
- Injury – Physical or mental hurt; damage to the body or mind; a wound.
- Penalty – Money you must pay because you did something wrong; a punishment.
- Case – A problem that is decided in a court of law; a legal matter.
- Lawsuit – When one person takes another person or company to court to solve a problem.
- Force – To make someone do something they do not want to do.
- Social media – Websites and apps where people share photos, videos, and messages (like Instagram or TikTok).
- Billion – 1,000,000,000 = one billion
- Decision – A choice made after thinking; a final answer.
- Court – The place where a judge and jury decide if someone broke the law. 🏛️
- Complex – Not simple; having many parts; difficult to understand.
- Issue – A topic; a problem; something people are talking about.
- Blame – To say that someone is the cause of a bad thing; to say it is their fault.
- App (Application) – A computer program on a phone or tablet.
- Protect – To keep someone safe; to stop someone from being hurt. 🛡️
- Teenager – A young person between 13 and 19 years old; a teen.
- Internal – Inside; something that stays inside a company or a building.
- Document – A piece of paper with information; a digital file with writing. 📄
- Risk – A danger; the chance that something bad will happen.
- Photo filter – A tool that changes how a picture looks, like changing colors or faces.
- Hope – To want something good to happen; a good feeling about the future.
Quiz
Discussion Questions
- In your opinion, who is more responsible for a child’s safety online: the parents or the social media companies?
- Do you think social media platforms are designed to be addictive? Why or why not?
- How much time do you spend on social media every day? Do you think it is too much?
- Do you believe that photo filters are bad for a person’s mental health?
- Should there be a law that stops children under 13 from using social media?
- If you were the judge, would you make the companies pay more or less money? Why?
- 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 _____ decided that Meta and YouTube are responsible for harming a _____ woman’s mental health.
The woman, _____ Kaley, is now 20 years old. She started using these platforms _____ she was a child. Kaley said the websites _____ designed to make her addicted. Because of this addiction, she _____ from anxiety and had negative thoughts about her _____.
The jury decided that Meta and _____ were negligent. This means they did not care enough about the _____ of their users. The companies knew that _____ platforms were dangerous but did not warn anyone.
_____ jury ordered the companies to pay Kaley $3 million for her injuries. The _____ must also pay about $3 million more in penalties. The _____ decided that Meta was responsible for _____% of the harm, while YouTube was responsible for _____%.
This is a very important case _____ there are more than 1,500 similar lawsuits. This result might _____ social media companies to change how they _____, especially for children. It could also cost the companies billions of _____ in the future.
Meta and YouTube both _____ with the decision. They plan to ask the court to change it. Meta _____ that mental health is a complex issue and _____ be blamed on one app. YouTube says it is a video platform, _____ a social media site. Both companies said they have many safety tools to _____ teenagers.
However, during the lawsuit, internal _____ showed that the companies knew about the risks. For example, Meta _____ warned that certain photo filters could be harmful, but the company used _____ anyway.
Many parents hope this _____ decision will make the internet safer for all _____.
