Social Media Judge Says Algorithms, Peer Pressure Hard to Divide

A California state judge considering whether school districts can sue social media giants for student addiction said Monday that it’s hard to tell whether harms related to social media can be blamed on its algorithms, or if other factors, like peer pressure, are to blame.

“You can’t really tell whether the content was something the student found themselves or whether it was pushed onto them,” California Superior Court, Los Angeles County Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl said.

Though Kuhl’s note that it’s difficult to track the origin of the influence on students would broadly favor tech companies — including Meta Platforms ...