Instagram's User Engagement and Teen Targeting Scrutinized in Ongoing Lawsuit

Internal documents presented during CEO Mark Zuckerberg's testimony in a Los Angeles County Superior Court case reveal that Instagram's daily user engagement increased from 40 minutes in 2023 to 46 minutes in 2026. The lawsuit, K.G.M. v. Meta et al., involves a 19-year-old plaintiff, referred to as K.G.M., who alleges that social media platforms, including Instagram, contributed to her mental health struggles. The plaintiff's legal team argues that Meta set internal goals to increase user time on Instagram, despite awareness of underage users on the platform. In response, Meta's spokesperson, Stephanie Otway, stated that the evidence will show the plaintiff faced significant challenges before using social media. The trial continues to examine the impact of social media design on youth mental health.