Last week, a federal judge ruled that the companies could not use the First Amendment or Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to block the lawsuit. The judge determined that issues such as poor parental controls and inadequate age verification are not matters of freedom of expression. This ruling was seen as a significant victory for the families. The companies involved deny the claims and plan to defend themselves vigorously.

Taylor, who lives in Colorado, explains that their addiction to social media was so severe that they felt unbearable withdrawals when their phone was taken away. They recall being exposed to graphic self-harm images at the age of 11 with no warning. Taylor also struggled with content related to body image and eating disorders, describing it as a constant bombardment that felt like a cult. The plaintiffs' lawyers are focusing on the design of the platforms rather than individual posts or images, arguing that the apps contain features that cause addiction and harm.

Meta released a statement expressing sympathy for the families and assuring parents that they prioritize the safety of teens online. TikTok declined to comment, while Google stated that the allegations are untrue and that protecting kids on their platforms is a core focus. Snapchat emphasized that their platform is designed to remove the pressure to be perfect and that they vet all content before it reaches a large audience.

Taylor is familiar with the story of Molly Russell, who took her own life after being exposed to negative content on Instagram. Taylor feels fortunate to have survived and is determined to see the legal action through. They believe that the tech companies are aware of the harm caused by their platforms but prioritize profit over the well-being of users. Taylor's hope for better social media rests on winning the lawsuit and forcing the companies to make necessary changes, as they believe the companies will never choose to do so voluntarily.

Original news source: ‘I was addicted to social media – now I'm suing Big Tech’ (BBC)

– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Students pair up, with one playing the role of a news reporter and the other the role of Taylor Little or a legal representative of the plaintiff's families. The reporter will conduct an interview, asking questions about the lawsuit, the impact of social media on children, and the families' expectations from the legal action. Students should use information from the article to make the role-play realistic and informative.
– Opinion Spectrum
Instructions: Write a series of statements related to the article on the board (e.g., "Social media companies should be held accountable for the content on their platforms," "Parental controls are sufficient to protect children online," etc.). Students stand in a line according to how strongly they agree or disagree with each statement, with one end of the room representing 'strongly agree' and the other 'strongly disagree.' Invite students from various points on the spectrum to explain their positions.
– Sketch It
Instructions: In groups, students are tasked with creating a storyboard or comic strip that illustrates the key events and issues presented in the article. Encourage them to include the lawsuit, the judge's ruling, the impact of social media on Taylor Little's life, and the statements from the tech companies. Once completed, groups can present their storyboards to the class and discuss the main points depicted.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key terms from the article (e.g., lawsuit, addiction, self-harm, graphic content, parental controls, age verification, First Amendment, etc.) on slips of paper. Students take turns picking a slip and drawing the concept on the board without speaking or writing words. Their team must guess the term based only on the drawing. Set a time limit for each round to keep the pace lively.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask students to reflect on the article and write down their predictions about the outcome of the lawsuit and the future of social media regulation. Then, have them share their predictions in small groups and discuss the possible implications for users and the tech companies involved. Encourage them to use conditional structures (e.g., "If the lawsuit is successful, tech companies might…") to practice hypothesizing in English.

Hundreds of families in the United ? are suing some of the world's largest technology companies, claiming that they knowingly expose children to harmful products. One plaintiff, Taylor Little, shares their story of addiction to social media, which led to ? attempts and years of depression. Taylor describes the tech companies as "big, bad monsters" who put addictive and damaging products in the hands of children. The lawsuit, one of the largest ever mounted in Silicon Valley, targets Meta (owner of Facebook and Instagram), TikTok, ?, and Snap Inc (owner of Snapchat), alleging that these platforms are harmful by design. The families' lawyers ? that the case of Molly Russell, a British schoolgirl who died by suicide after being ? to self-harm content on social media, exemplifies the potential harms faced by teenagers. Last week, a federal judge ruled that the ? could not use the First Amendment or Section 230 of the ? Decency Act to block the lawsuit. The judge determined that issues such as poor parental controls and inadequate age verification are not matters of freedom of expression. This ruling was seen as a significant victory for the families. The companies involved deny the claims and plan to defend themselves vigorously. Taylor, who lives in Colorado, explains that their addiction to social media was so severe that they felt ? withdrawals when their phone was taken away. They recall being exposed to graphic self-harm images at the age of 11 with no warning. Taylor also struggled with content related to body image and eating disorders, describing it as a constant bombardment that felt like a cult. The plaintiffs' lawyers are focusing on the design of the ? rather than ? posts or images, arguing that the apps contain features that cause addiction and harm. Meta released a statement expressing sympathy for the families and ? parents that they prioritize the ? of teens online. TikTok declined to comment, while Google stated that the allegations are untrue and that protecting kids on their platforms is a core focus. Snapchat emphasized that their platform is designed to remove the pressure to be ? and that they vet all content before it reaches a large audience. Taylor is familiar with the story of Molly Russell, who took her own life after being exposed to negative content on Instagram. Taylor feels fortunate to have survived and is determined to see the legal action through. They ? that the tech companies are aware of the harm caused by their platforms but prioritize ? over the well-being of users. Taylor's hope for better social media rests on ? the lawsuit and forcing the companies to make necessary changes, as they believe the companies will never choose to do so voluntarily.

1. What is your stance on the idea that technology companies should be held accountable for the content their users are exposed to?
2. How would you feel if you found out a child in your family was being negatively affected by social media?
3. Do you think social media platforms should implement stricter age verification processes? Why or why not?
4. Have you or someone you know ever experienced addiction to social media, and how did it affect your or their life?
5. What measures do you believe could be effective in preventing social media addiction among young users?
6. Do you like the idea of having more parental control features on social media platforms? Why or why not?
7. How do you think exposure to harmful content on social media compares to other risks children face today?
8. Do you think the design of social media apps is to blame for addiction and negative impacts, or is it more about the content itself?
9. In your opinion, do tech companies prioritize profit over user well-being, or do you believe they are also concerned about their users' health?
10. What is your opinion on the balance between freedom of expression and the need to protect users from harmful content?
11. How would you feel if you were part of a lawsuit against a major tech company? Would you be optimistic about the outcome?
12. Do you think winning a lawsuit against tech companies would lead to significant changes on social media platforms? Why or why not?
13. Have you ever come across content on social media that you found disturbing or harmful? What did you do about it?
14. Do you think the concept of a "perfect" image on social media is harmful to users, especially teenagers? Why or why not?
15. What is your perception of the role of social media in mental health, based on your own experiences or observations?

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