FLORIDA — YouTube settled a social media addiction lawsuit brought by a 15-year-old in Florida. The plaintiff used the initials R.K.C. in court documents throughout the proceedings.

R.K.C. alleged that YouTube and other social media firms designed their platforms to be addictive. R.K.C.'s claims included that features such as infinite scroll and autoplay led to compulsive use that developed into a form of addiction. He also claimed that the platform use caused him anxiety and sleep deprivation.

R.K.C.'s attorneys John Morgan and Emily Jeffcott stated, "As jurors saw in the first bellwether trial, leadership at these social media companies have been strategizing for years to hook children early and maximize their usage."

Google spokesman José Castañeda stated, "This matter has been amicably resolved and our focus remains on building age-appropriate products and parental controls that deliver on that promise." Google has stated it built YouTube responsibly and has worked with families for more than a decade to provide safer online experiences for young people. YouTube Kids launched in 2015.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl is overseeing a series of trials to resolve more than 1,000 similar cases in California. R.K.C.'s allegations mark the second trial in this series. The first trial featured a 20-year-old California woman, identified as K.G.M., who accused Meta and YouTube of designing platforms to be addictive to young users.

A jury in New Mexico ordered Meta to pay $375 million for misleading users regarding the safety of its platforms for children. Another trial in the multi-district litigation brought by U.S. states against Meta is scheduled to proceed in the same court in August.