Tech’s big tobacco moment: problems and solutions
Laura Marquez-Garrett (center), the plaintiff’s attorney in a landmark trial around social media addiction, and victims’ family members react to the jurors’ verdict that social media companies designed their platforms to hook teens.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
By Susanna Camp
The attention economy has long been the golden goose of Silicon Valley, but the goose is starting to look more like an albatross. Users can’t put their phones down, algorithms rule our lives and human self-control often feels digitally outmatched. SN’s Sujata Gupta covers the youth mental health crisis attributed to social media addiction.
📜 The science of the scroll
Every scroll is a pull of the lever; our phones have become pocket-sized slot machines powered by rewards (likes, notifications or viral videos) provided at unpredictable intervals in an infinite loop. Research shows that preteens who have a hard time logging off have more mental health problems than their peers a year later. With a growing consensus that these designs mimic the neurological patterns of gambling addiction, the legal landscape is shifting.
🚬 Tech’s big tobacco moment
The social media industry is currently undergoing its “Big Tobacco” comeuppance, with real costs to pay. As juries begin to find tech giants liable for the mental health effects of their products, the necessity for tech-enabled guardrails has moved from a niche ethical concern to a core business requirement. To avoid multibillion dollar litigation, platforms are developing digital throttles — features that verify user age more strictly, limit late-night usage via AI-driven nudges and provide transparent usage audits.
⛑️ Meet the wellness wardens
The following players are leading the charge in developing the tools required to manage the modern attention span:
- Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG): A major player in the engagement game via YouTube, Google has moved aggressively into “Digital Wellbeing” tools that are now baked into the Android OS core of its devices. Alphabet reported a record $403 billion in revenue for 2025, with its services segment increasingly focused on user-centric safety features to stave off regulatory pressure.
- Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL): By making “Screen Time” and “Focus Modes” native to the iOS ecosystem, Apple has positioned itself as the “curator” of attention. Apple reported year-end revenue of $416 billion in 2025, a 6% increase over the previous year. Apple’s internal privacy and wellness features also offer analytics on third-party apps.
- Birches Health is a digital provider specializing in specialized care for various addictions including gambling, porn, sex and gaming — covered by major insurance providers. They’ve raised $20 million, with a recent round closing in Feb 2026.
- The Balance Phone is a modified Android-based smartphone designed to combat digital addiction by removing social media, games and video streaming platforms while retaining essential tools (calculator, camera, clock, weather and notes). We couldn’t find any publicly available funding data for this device but we did find loads of great reviews and almost pulled the trigger on the $691 purchase price.
Silicon Valley has spent decades perfecting the digital hook; now, the most profitable growth sector might just be the one that teaches us how to unhook.
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