This has nothing to do with radio, per se, but it's a major blow to some kinds of media. And this is not the way I expected these cases to go.

Just one day after a court in New Mexico decided Meta was responsible for a user's "social media" addiction and suffering, another jury in California has found the same company - along with YouTube - liable for virtually the same thing. 

They've been ordered to pay up to $6 million in damages, after the plaintiff - known only by her initials KGM - convinced a jury their platforms were based on algorthims designed to hook underage kids without any regard to the mental effects they were causing.

"[She] testified at trial that she became addicted to social media as a child and that this addiction exacerbated her mental health struggles. After more than 40 hours of deliberations, a majority of jurors agreed and awarded her $3 million in damages...

The jury determined that Meta and YouTube knew the design or operation of their platforms was dangerous or was likely to be dangerous when used by a minor. They also agreed that the platforms failed to adequately warn of that danger, further contributing to the plaintiff’s harm."

What does this mean for other potential lawsuits? Well, let's just say it could cost these billion dollar enities more than a small fortune. And there are plenty of other cases to come, especially now that two have been successful. It's an incredible decision and it could have a major effect on the way social media is designed and programmed. And it could potentially change these sites forever.

Google, which owns YouTube, is especially incensed, insisting it isn't even a social media site. And both have understandably vowed to appeal both outcomes. 

Jury finds Instagram and YouTube liable in a landmark social media addiction trial