On the Media (WNYC Studios)

Episode: The Social Media Addiction Trials Begin

Date: February 14, 2026
Hosts: Brooke Gladstone & Michael Loewinger

Episode Overview

This episode examines the landmark lawsuit against social media giants Meta and Google, which are on trial in Los Angeles for allegedly designing addictive platforms that harm children. Through legal analysis, expert interviews, and broader media context, the show explores the implications of these trials, efforts to curb social media harms, the blurred line between habit and addiction, and the potential dangers of new trends like prediction markets in news.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. The Social Media Addiction Lawsuit: What’s Happening in LA?

[00:00-15:11]

• Case Summary:
  Meta and Google are accused of intentionally creating addictive social media platforms aimed at children, resulting in tangible harms (depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia, etc.).
• Legal Significance:
  • The plaintiff, Kayleigh, is one of many in thousands of parallel lawsuits.
  • The case is a "bellwether" ([01:57] Madeline Meckelberg): "The resolution of this case... is going to help inform lawyers, litigants how they're going to resolve all these other cases."
• Novel Legal Approach:
  • Lawsuit bypasses Section 230 (which protects platforms from liability for user content) by arguing the platform design, not content, is the source of harm ([03:35] Madeline Meckelberg): "This is not about the content, this is about the design of the platform and more specifically, the algorithm."
• Plaintiff’s Lawyer Tactics:
  • Mark Lanier, known for a "folksy charm" and prop use that aids jury comprehension ([05:42]):
    • Quote ([06:11] Madeline Meckelberg): "He pulls out three little children's blocks... and he says, addicting the brains of children. That's the ABCs of this case."
• Internal Evidence:
  • Plaintiffs lean on employee emails from Meta and Google acknowledging addictive designs.
    • Example ([07:15] Madeline Meckelberg): "Instagram is a drug." "I mean, all social media, we’re basically pushers."
    • Reference to "reward deficit disorder" induced by binging Instagram, likened to gambling ([07:45] Brooke Gladstone).
• Defense Arguments:
  • Harm stemmed from plaintiff's prior trauma, not social media use alone.
  • Usage stats for the plaintiff (Kayleigh) are "modest" on average ([11:56]), with rare spikes (16.2 hours in a day on Instagram—[12:02]).
  • Parents failed to use available safety features ([12:46]).

Notable Quote

"At one point during his opening arguments, he says it's as easy as ABC. And he pulls out three little children's blocks...addicting the brains of children. That's the ABCs of this case."
— Madeline Meckelberg (06:11)

2. From Addiction to Habit: Are We Framing the Problem Correctly?

[15:11-19:47]

• Addiction vs. Habit:
  • Neuroscientist Ian Anderson clarifies the distinction: Addiction involves loss of control and frequent withdrawal; habits are responses to cues.
  • Anderson’s research: Many users self-identify as addicted; few actually meet clinical criteria ([16:45]).
    • "Only 2% actually were at risk of addiction." ([16:45])
• Impact of “Addiction” Narrative:
  • Media’s frequent use of the word “addiction” amplifies public anxiety.
  • Self-labeling as addicted undermines users' perceived self-control ([17:39] Anderson):

    "It makes you feel less like you can control it, less like you're going to be able to control it in the future."

• Platform Responsibility:
  • Even non-addictive but habitual product designs can cause harm ("dark patterns") ([19:01]).

3. How Can We Actually Fix Social Media Harm?

[20:33-34:49]

• Personal Strategies:

  • Julia Anguin (investigative journalist) describes her use of “grayscale” mode to reduce phone attachment—halved her usage overnight ([21:08]):

    "When I switched to grayscale, it immediately dropped to four hours...I felt like I had just been released from an addiction."

• The Myth of Harmful Screen Time:

  • Studies show moderate use is beneficial; both overuse and total abstinence correlate with worse outcomes ([22:31], [24:06]).
  • Suggests nuance is lost in “screen time” debates.

• Policy Responses Around the World:

  • Age-based Social Media Bans:
    • (E.g., Australia)—teens easily evade with VPNs; age verification endangers privacy ([26:01]).
    • Quote ([26:01] Julia Anguin):

      "All of a sudden we're in a world where you have to show some sort of identification to go onto a lot of the portions of the Internet. And that is not a world that is very safe..."

  • Phone Bans in Schools:
    • Widely implemented but require careful, non-punitive policies versus strict enforcement ([27:25]).
    • Phones are important tools for witnessing/recording, e.g., police actions ([28:04]).
  • Impact on Seniors:
    • Seniors often more vulnerable to online scams than teens ([29:40]):

      "We're having this moral panic about kids while ignoring this huge population...absolutely suffering right now."

• Corporate Solutions & Regulatory Pressure:

  • Anguin advocates for antitrust actions, breaking up tech monopolies to foster competition and safer design ([31:06]).
  • "Infinite scroll" identified as an addictive design choice, condemned even by EU regulators ([32:06]).
    • Anguin proposes user-controlled feeds for more agency ([32:25]).

4. Turning News into a Game: The Rise of Prediction Markets

[36:45-51:53]

• What Are Prediction Markets?

  • Platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket allow users to place bets on news events (e.g. election outcomes, weather, words said at public events).
  • Media outlets now integrate these market odds into programming ([38:54] Judd Legum):

    "You'll see something at the bottom of the screen saying, what is the current state of the market on Kalshi?"

• Critiques & Concerns:

  • Trivialization of News:
    • News coverage shifts from substantive debate to "market odds" (e.g., betting on Trump's odds to buy Greenland—[39:42]).
    • [42:01] "There is a school of thought...that it is the marketplace that is the clearest path to discovering what truth is."
  • Market Manipulation & Insider Trading:
    • Small market size makes them easy to manipulate.
    • Examples of insider bets on news events/celebrity appearances ([46:52] - [47:30]).
    • Because these platforms are regulated as commodities, not securities, SEC-style protections against insider trading are minimal ([48:06] Judd Legum).
  • Ethical Issues:
    • Betting on national tragedies or consequential events (e.g., coups, government shutdowns) commodifies suffering and undermines civic engagement.

Notable Quote

"It is essentially invading those spaces and turning the news into this game to essentially de emphasize the part of news that is probably the most important, which is that it's about informing yourself as a citizen.”
— Judd Legum (51:13)

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• "This is social media literally on trial." — Michael Ohinger ([00:00], [01:11])
• "They're able to talk about how they've designed this tool...able to hook users and keep them on the platform for longer." — Madeline Meckelberg ([03:35])
• "[Instagram] is a drug... we're basically pushers." — Meta employees, as quoted in internal chain ([07:15])
• “When I switched to grayscale, it immediately dropped to four hours...I have no feeling like I want to pick it up. I felt like I had just been released from an addiction.” — Julia Anguin ([21:08])
• “All of a sudden we're in a world where you have to show some sort of identification to go onto a lot of the portions of the Internet. And that is not a world that is very safe…” — Julia Anguin ([26:01])
• "The companies...can mediate our citizenship and that is very dangerous." — Julia Anguin ([33:53])
• "Kalshee is replacing debate, subjectivity and talk with markets, accuracy and truth." — Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour, quoted by Judd Legum ([41:39])
• “Is there a place anymore for another kind of news? News is an essential part of people's ability to inform themselves as citizens…” — Judd Legum ([50:45])

Timestamps for Key Topics

• 00:00-15:11: Social media addiction trial—legal strategies, evidence, and industry responses.
• 15:11-19:47: Understanding the boundary between habit and addiction; media’s role in shaping perceptions.
• 20:33-34:49: Fixes and policy remedies—grayscale, school bans, legislative solutions, and privacy dilemmas.
• 36:45-51:53: Prediction markets: news as gambling, journalistic ethics, regulation challenges.

Episode Takeaways

• The social media addiction trial in LA is a historic test case with the potential to reshape tech industry accountability and design standards.
• The line between habit and addiction is easily blurred by media narratives, leading to overpathologizing normal behavior—yet the harms of engineered habits are real.
• Solutions require a balance of personal agency, informed policy, and meaningful regulation—without sacrificing privacy or overreaching with punitive bans.
• The trend of integrating betting markets into news coverage risks trivializing public discourse and opening new avenues for manipulation and fraud.

For listeners seeking to make sense of the social media moment—its risks, remedies, and the ways news itself is changing—this episode offers rigorous context, sharp analysis, and expert testimony throughout.