Tech CEOs are wary of screen time for their children, not society

Social media is bad for children.

That was the blunt verdict in a recent spate of high-tech court cases in California, Kentucky and New Mexico. At a moment when Silicon Valley has never been more dominant or ambitious, one of its signature products has all the allure — and the lawsuits — of cigarettes circa 1990.

On Tuesday, opening statements begin in Oakland, California, for the latest social media trial. California and other states have brought a case against Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, saying the company “harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage and ultimately ensnare youth and teens.”