The answers to those questions are being debated right now and will come to court in two California court cases brought by thousands of individuals and groups against the social media giants Meta (owner of Facebook and Instagram), Google (owner of YouTube), Snap (owner of Snapchat), ByteDance (owner of TikTok) and Discord. The plaintiffs in these cases – ranging from school districts to concerned parents – argue that social media platforms pose a danger to children, causing grave psychological harm and even leading to death. Exposed to videos full of violence, impossible beauty standards, and “contests” that encourage dangerous stunts, kids are being led down dark rabbit holes from which they may never return. At stake in both cases is one fundamental question: are these companies at fault for making people feel terrible?