Parents hope the tide will turn as Mark Zuckerberg testifies

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stand Wednesday in a landmark Los Angeles trial over social media addiction, where parents who say their children were harmed gathered to watch. Lori Schott, a mother from rural Colorado who lost her 18-year-old daughter Annalee to suicide in 2020, said she stared down Zuckerberg as he walked into court and 'was not backing down.' Schott said she believes the content Annalee saw on social media 'destroyed' her mental health.

Schott is not a plaintiff in the case, but is among more than 2,000 individuals with similar personal injury lawsuits pending. The bellwether trial centers on a 20-year-old identified by the initials KGM, who says years of social media use harmed her mental health and contributed to depression and suicidal thoughts.

Meta was named as a defendant alongside Google-owned YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat; TikTok and Snapchat settled out of court.

United States, Los Angeles

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