The Oprah Podcast

Episode: "Gen Z Tech Addiction Crisis" with Adam Alter

Date: September 30, 2025
Host: Oprah Winfrey
Guests: Adam Alter, Dr. Caitlin Reger, Dr. Christina Breising, Dr. Neisha Glenn & Amir Jenkins, Maddie & Kyle, Connor McLaren & Alex Slater (Quitter app founders)
Location: Live audience, New York

Overview

In this emotionally charged and comprehensive episode, Oprah investigates the alarming rise of tech addiction among Generation Z—those aged roughly 13 to 28—with insights from leading experts, affected families, and innovators. The conversation explores the impact of smartphones, online gaming, social media, and adult content on youth mental health, relationships, and family dynamics. The discussion reveals the under-regulation of digital technology, the psychology behind addiction, rising concerns about AI, and the ways community and intentional action can offer hope.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tech Addiction: The Severity of the Crisis

• Widespread Problem:

  • 95% of U.S. teens (13-17) are glued to their phones, with social and family consequences extending beyond youth to adults as well.
    • Adam Alter (01:56):

      “The effects are pretty grave. For a lot of people it means their social interactions are ruined or harmed greatly. They struggle to do work. They have issues within their families… the effects are pretty, are pretty grave.”

• Real-World Consequences:

  • Oprah shares a personal team member’s story—her 19-year-old son was removed from home for violent outbursts after limits on phone use (00:50).

2. Why Tech Addiction is Uniquely Dangerous

• Lack of Regulation:
  • Unlike food/drugs, digital tech faces little regulation.
    • Dr. Caitlin Reger (03:20):

      “I start with the premise that almost everything else we consume is regulated… We don’t have the same consumer protections around the digital space because we’re not the consumers of tech. We’re the product.”

• The Attention Economy:
  • Social media platforms profit by selling our time and prioritizing ‘hate, harm, and disinformation’ because it is more attention-grabbing.
    • (04:06): "Through this attention economy, hate, harm and disinformation is often algorithmically prioritized."
• Tech Leaders are Cautious at Home:
  • Adam Alter (04:47):

    “A lot of the tech titans... have been very purposeful about keeping those same products they say publicly we should all be using out of their homes so they won’t let their kids use the same products…”

3. How Tech Hooks and Changes the Brain

• Behavioral Addiction Closely Mirrors Drug Addiction:

  • Dr. Christina Breising (06:50):

    “Behavioral addictions have the same brain changes and clinical symptoms as addictions to drugs or alcohol... we develop something called tolerance, which means the same reward doesn’t give that same pleasure...”

• Dopamine and Tolerance:

  • Dr. Breising (07:47):

    “Dopamine is released in the brain in a way that creates pleasure... when you start feeling good, you spend a lot of time, it outcompetes other important things.”

• Escalation to Higher Stimuli:

  • (08:40): Adults and teens seek more intense digital stimulation (e.g., more extreme adult content, gaming levels, or likes) due to desensitization.

4. Personal Testimonies from Affected Families

• Gaming Addiction in Gen Z:
  • Dr. Neisha Glenn and her son, Amir, share their struggles (09:47–13:12):
    • Gaming began at age 5–6 and escalated to all-consuming obsession by high school.
    • Addiction led to isolation, neglecting hygiene, diet, and education, and even real-world violence stemming from online disputes in Fortnite.
    • Dr. Glenn (11:58):

      "I'm like, I don't want my son to be 30 years old having an addiction to games."

• Echo Chambers:
  • Dr. Reger (14:04):

    “An echo chamber is when we continuously micro dose on a certain type of content so that the behavior or the belief becomes normalized for us.”

  • Solutions include: discussing tech’s role together, making it “us vs the tech,” not “us vs each other.”
• Treatment and Co-morbidities:
  • Dr. Breising (16:14):

    “There are treatments for behavioral addictions: psychotherapies like cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing...”

  • Must assess for depression, anxiety, ADHD, or other psychiatric conditions overlapping with addiction (16:55).

5. Adult Content Addiction: Early Exposure and Marital Strife

• Maddie & Kyle's Story:
  • Kyle became addicted to online adult content (“corn”) after exposure at 8 years old, using it to cope with family stress (21:10).
  • His addiction led to secrecy, shame, and marital tension for years (22:29; 35:51).
    • Maddie (23:17):

      “As much as this addiction makes it feel like it is your problem… that is not the case. It took me so many years to learn that.”

  • Disclosure and shame were barriers to seeking help.
• Impact on Relationships:
  • Partners can feel unwanted, not “enough,” or betrayed.
  • Open communication aids healing, but recovery must be self-driven.

6. AI and the Future of Addiction

• AI Escalates the Crisis:
  • Adam Alter (25:21):

    “AI is very good at learning what you like and making things that are tailored to your preferences. So I think it’s going to be weaponized in that way... that’s a very big concern.”

  • Oprah (25:47):

    “People are going to be falling in love with their AI… It’s going to get bad, I think.”

7. Peer-Led Solutions: Quitter App

• Innovation from Gen Z:
  • Connor McLaren & Alex Slater co-founded Quitter—a gamified platform for quitting adult content (26:37–29:42).
    • Alex (26:53): “Me and all my friends struggled with it and no one was really open about talking about it.”
    • Gamification, community support, and accountability key for success—boasting 25,000 five-star reviews and a million downloads.
    • J (28:50):

      “That’s the dopamine reset... that’s how you reset the baseline and no longer feel impulsive to watch it.”

• Community Impact:
  • Many men report improved relationships, self-confidence, and willingness to date and socialize after quitting (38:20–38:53).

8. Unintended, Dangerous Social Effects

• Adult Content as Sex ‘Education’:
  • Studies show that majority of college-aged women have experienced choking by a partner; researchers link this to exposure to violent online adult content (29:54–31:22).
  • Dr. Reger (32:34): Analogy that adult content is as unreflective of real intimacy as superhero movies are of real people; education needs to counter myths.
• Normalizing Extreme Behavior:
  • (31:04): Younger viewers require more intense stimuli due to early desensitization.
  • At least 50% of kids see pornography—much of it violent—by age 13 (33:22).
• Openness & Cultural Change:
  • Quitter app’s mission pivots toward normalizing not watching adult content, encouraging open conversations and role models (34:00–34:38).

9. Final Reflections and Recommendations

• The Need for a Village:
  • Dr. Breising (40:20):

    “When you’re struggling with addiction, it can be incredibly isolating. Big problems require a village: get help, talk to people, have a specialist provide some guidance.”

• Redefining Industry Success:
  • Adam Alter (40:49):

    “The key metrics have to change from ‘how much welfare do you bring into the world,’ rather than ‘how many minutes of your time can I extract’… that’s the problem.”

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On the Business Model of Tech
  • Dr. Reger (03:20):

    “We’re not the consumers of tech. We’re the product.”

• On Tech Titans and Hypocrisy
  • Adam Alter (04:47):

    “...a massive departure... a lot of the tech titans... have been very purposeful about keeping those... products out of their homes.”

• On the Nature of Addiction
  • Dr. Breising (06:50):

    “Behavioral addictions have the same brain changes and clinical symptoms as addictions to drugs or alcohol.”

• On Adult Content’s Cultural Impact
  • Dr. Breising (29:54):

    “There have been some concerning trends... college-age women... are reporting at increasing rates that they’re experiencing choking by their sexual partners… due to increasing exposure to this type of content on adult content websites.”

• On Overcoming Shame
  • Kyle (37:31):

    “Just know that you’re not alone, and that shame is what keeps you in your addiction.”

Important Timestamps

• [00:50]: Oprah highlights severity—team member's family crisis.
• [01:56]: Adam Alter quantifies the scope; 95% of teens affected.
• [03:20–04:13]: Dr. Reger on tech as unregulated, attention-grabbing harm.
• [06:50–07:41]: Dr. Breising explains addiction impacts on the brain.
• [09:47–13:12]: Dr. Glenn and Amir's testimony on gaming addiction.
• [14:04]: Echo chambers and solutions.
• [16:14–16:55]: Treatment options and co-morbidities.
• [19:27–24:48]: Maddie & Kyle address adult content addiction and marital effects.
• [25:21–25:47]: AI's potential for making addiction worse.
• [26:53–29:42]: Quitter app—peer support solution by Gen Z.
• [29:54–33:15]: Social trends—violence in relationships and misinformation from adult content.
• [40:20]: Final advice: seek support, it takes a village.
• [40:49]: Adam Alter urges industry change.

Episode Tone

Open, empathetic, unflinching, and community-oriented, Oprah curates a conversation that is both science-driven and deeply personal, keeping space for vulnerability and hope while sounding the alarm on current and future risks of tech addiction.

Recommended Actions from Guests:

• Treat tech addiction as a serious behavioral health issue.
• Have informed, nonjudgmental conversations—make it "us vs. the tech."
• Seek professional help where necessary; therapies and even medications can help.
• Use tech intentionally and be aware of echo chambers.
• Normalize quitting damaging digital behaviors—community support is powerful.
• Push for regulation and ethical design metrics in tech industries.

Books Mentioned:

• Irresistible by Adam Alter
• Smartphone Nation by Dr. Caitlin Reger (October 28, 2025 release)

Tools Referenced:

• Quitter (Q-U-I-T-T-R) App for overcoming adult content addiction

For You:
If you or a loved one is struggling, know you’re not alone. Community, professional support, and intentional digital boundaries can help. For more, listen to the full episode or read further works by the guests.