YouTube at Peace with Teens Who Challenge the Design of Addictive

Illustration of the YouTube logo. (Photo: YouTube illustration/doc. unsplash)

JAKARTA - Google's YouTube has settled a lawsuit from a Florida teenager, United States, who accused the platform's design of encouraging excessive use and disturbing mental health.

Launching Anadolu Agency which quoted a BBC report said the lawsuit was filed by a 15-year-old teenager who in court documents was identified as R.K.C. He accused YouTube and a number of social media companies of deliberately designing features that make users stay longer on the app.

The features in question include infinite scrolling or infinite scroll and autoplay. Infinite scrolling makes users continue to see content without having to switch pages. Autoplay makes the next video run immediately.

According to the lawsuit, these features are alleged to trigger compulsive use, anxiety, sleep disorders, and other health impacts on teenagers.

The value and terms of the settlement were not made public. To the BBC, a Google spokesperson said the company had resolved the issue and remained focused on building age-appropriate products and controls for parents.

However, this case is not really over. The teenager is still continuing a separate lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Instagram, TikTok, and Snap Inc. The trial is scheduled to take place in July in Los Angeles.

According to an Anadolu Agency report quoted on Thursday, June 25, the case is part of a multi-district litigation that includes more than 1,000 similar cases. The lawsuits accuse major social media companies of exacerbating the crisis of adolescent mental health through the design of platforms that are allegedly addictive.

The companies have denied wrongdoing. They have previously pointed to a range of safety features and products for young users, including YouTube Kids.

The case adds pressure on the tech giant. For parents, the main issue is serious. Children are not only dealing with content, but also with the design of the app which according to the lawsuit can keep users engaged for longer.