Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri Testifies: 16 Hours of Daily Social Media Use is “Problematic,” Not “Clinical Addiction”
In a landmark testimony delivered Wednesday at the Los Angeles Superior Court, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri defended the platform against allegations of causing mental health harm, stating that even extreme usage—such as 16 hours a day—does not necessarily constitute a “clinical addiction.”
The Testimony
Mosseri took the stand as the first high-profile executive to testify in a closely watched bellwether trial involving claims that social media giants knowingly engineered their products to be addictive to minors. During cross-examination by lead plaintiff attorney Mark Lanier, Mosseri was presented with the case of a 20-year-old plaintiff, identified as “K.G.M.,” who reportedly spent up to 16 hours in a single day on the app.
When asked if such excessive consumption qualified as addiction, Mosseri demurred. “That sounds like problematic use,” Mosseri told the court, explicitly rejecting the label of addiction. He argued that while users may spend more time on the app than they intend or feel good about, this behavior differs fundamentally from medical definitions of dependency. “I think it’s important to differentiate between clinical addiction and problematic use,” he stated, noting that he is not a medical professional but maintains a distinction between a bad habit and a clinical diagnosis.
Counterarguments and Objections
Legal experts and critics have immediately pushed back against Mosseri’s semantic distinction, arguing that it serves as a calculated legal shield rather than a reflection of reality. The plaintiff’s legal team emphasized that spending 16 hours on a platform leaves only eight hours for sleep, eating, and all other life functions, effectively displacing reality entirely.
Attorney Mark Lanier challenged Mosseri’s credibility on the issue by playing a past podcast clip where the CEO casually admitted to being “addicted” to a Netflix show. Mosseri dismissed his past comment as colloquial phrasing, insisting that “clinical addiction” involves a severity that social media does not reach. Critics argue that by rebranding compulsive behavior as merely “problematic,” Meta attempts to shift the burden of responsibility solely onto users—including minors—while evading liability for the algorithmic design choices that encourage prolonged scrolling.
Background and Context
This testimony is part of a massive consolidation of lawsuits against major tech companies, including Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and Google (YouTube). The plaintiffs allege that these platforms utilize psychological triggers to hook young users, leading to depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphia.
While TikTok and Snapchat reached settlements prior to this trial, Meta and Google have chosen to fight the claims in court. The outcome of this case is expected to set a significant precedent for over 1,000 similar lawsuits currently pending across the United States. Mosseri’s refusal to concede the existence of “social media addiction” signals Meta’s core defense strategy: denying the medical validity of the claim to prevent a cascade of liability rulings.
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