Good morning and welcome to Kid News, generously supported by the Latimer family of San Jose, California.

I'm Kim. Today is Wednesday, January 28, 26. And we begin with a California teen taking the biggest names in social media to court for allegedly getting her addicted to algorithms.

Jury selection began yesterday in what many are calling a landmark

civil case, much like those that brought down big tobacco and big pharma. The now 19-year-old

says she got hooked, starting at the age of 10, because of intentionally habit-forming features,

like infinite scroll and notifications, and that her mental health suffered as a result.

Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok are all named in the case, but the latter two apparently

saw the writing on the wall and settled out of court in the 11th hour. Unless Instagram and

YouTube also settle, the trial could last six to eight weeks. Overseas, more social media

pushback. Early yesterday morning in France, the National Assembly voted to ban the platforms to

anyone under 15, with President Macron proudly announcing our children's brains are not for sale.

The measure also banned cell phones in schools. The legislation now moves to the

Senate before a final vote. No, you can't just sit where you want. As of yesterday, Southwest Airlines

quirky open seating tradition that dated back 55 years to its founding in 1971 is officially a thing of the past.

Now it's like every other carrier which assigns a seat either when you buy the ticket or right before you board.

No more waking up early to check in hoping for a group.

And that means the gate experience will also change.

Those metal stanchions with numbers from one to 60,

they'll be phased out over the next two months. So far, reaction to the change has been mostly

positive, with many flyers celebrating the end of the Southwest Cattle Call. Others say it's just

nothing more than a money grab by the carrier. To that, the airline says it's done extensive research

and found that 80% of its passengers and 86% of all-air travelers prefer assigned seating.

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