Meta's Teen Focus Exposed: Instagram Usage Climbed Amid Mental Health Lawsuit

• Internal Meta emails reveal a strong focus on increasing teen usage on Instagram, with daily engagement projected to rise from 40 minutes in 2023 to 46 minutes by 2026.
• The revelations emerged during CEO Mark Zuckerberg's testimony in the K.G.M. v. Platforms et al. case, where a 19-year-old plaintiff alleges social media caused her mental health issues.
• Plaintiff attorneys presented internal documents showing Meta's "overall company goal is total teen time spent" and that teens were a top corporate priority, despite Zuckerberg's 2024 statement to Congress that under-13s were not allowed.
• Internal 2015 documents estimated 4 million under-13 users on Instagram, and an adviser noted age requirements were "unenforceable." Meta denies responsibility, citing the plaintiff's pre-existing challenges.
• The jury will determine if Instagram was a substantial factor in the plaintiff's mental health struggles, a decision with significant implications for the social media industry.