Trials & Litigation

On witness stand, YouTube VP says his kids watch 5 to 6 hours daily on platforms

YouTube logo and gavel

In a California courtroom Monday, Cristos Goodrow, a YouTube vice president, denied that YouTube and Instagram were addictive and harm children, adding that his children watch five to six hours daily on the platforms and it was “very good” for them. (Image from Shutterstock)

In a California courtroom Monday, Cristos Goodrow, a YouTube vice president, denied that YouTube and Instagram were addictive and harm children, adding that his children watch five to six hours daily on the platforms and it was “very good” for them.

According to Law360, the comments came as Goodrow took the witness stand for several hours during the closely watched case in which the sole plaintiff, referred to as “K.G.M.,” alleges that her addiction to social media has harmed her mental health.

Despite the plaintiffs attorney offering internal documents showing that the company discussed the platform’s addictive features, Goodrow said YouTube was not designed to be addictive but to provide quality entertainment, according to the story.

Goodrow followed Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri and Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the stand, both of whom denied that the platforms could be addictive, according to the story.

This is the first of at least nine trials planned out of thousands of consolidated cases in Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl’s courtroom, Law360 reports.

See also:

Jurors will remain anonymous in first social media addiction trial

Google and Meta social media mental health trial set to start as jury selected

Parents say teens are addicted to social media. Now, a jury will decide