Social Media Youth Addiction Lawsuit Judge Is Skeptical Referee

Hundreds of lawsuits alleging that TikTok, Instagram and other Big Tech social media platforms have sparked a child mental health emergency are in the hands of a path-breaking California federal judge with little appetite for courtroom stunts.

Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, the first Latina to serve on the US District Court for the Northern District of California, is presiding over the consolidated cases in her Oakland courtroom. She will soon rule on whether the lawsuits, which claim social media addiction causes anxiety and depression among adolescents, can overcome the tech companies’ longtime legal liability shield.

Rogers is a veteran of ...