The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, is expected to file today for the first time before the court in Los Angeles as part of a trial on the social media addiction of children and young people.

His testimony precedes that of Meta’s chief executive, which owns Instagram – Mark Zuckerberg, which is scheduled for February 18.

The case involves a 20-year-old woman, Kaylie J.M., from California, who claims she became addicted to Instagram at a young age because of the way the platform is designed to attract attention from its users.

The decision that the 12 jurors in this trial will make is expected to influence how social media companies will handle hundreds of other similar appeals in the US.

“We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident that the evidence will demonstrate our longstanding commitment to supporting young people,” said a spokesperson for Meta, the company that owns Instagram, ahead of Adam Mosseri’s testimony.

The plaintiff said in her deposition that the Instagram app that allows “perpetual” stalking kept her glued to the social media.

This app allows content to be continuously loaded once a user uploads a video. The American Academy of Pediatrics had announced in January that this may make it difficult for children to “disengage from electronic devices.”

Lawyers for the plaintiff said there are records that Meta knew of the harm to children caused by Instagram use. In fact, they specifically cited recent research by the company, which they pointed out shows that teens facing other difficulties in their lives are more likely to become addicted and that parents have little control over their children’s use of social media.

Yesterday, Tuesday, psychiatrist Anna Lebke of Stanford University testified at the trial, saying: “whenever I use the term drug, I use it in the broadest sense, which includes the use of social media.”

Addressing the 12 jurors, the doctor explained to them that the prefrontal cortex of the brain acts “like the brakes on a car. It’s the part of our brain that says, “OK, that’s enough, that’s enough now.”

But the development of the prefrontal cortex is completed at about 25 years of age, which explains why teenagers have difficulty self-regulating, he continued.

According to Lebke, early use of social media is a real “gateway drug” for minors. Though a bit toxic, this “first exposure” changes the brain, she notes, at a time when it is more malleable, predisposing young people to other addictions such as cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs.