Behind the Numbers: an EMARKETER Podcast Are We Addicted? Breaking Down the Social Media Trials and America’s Media Habits | Behind the Numbers
Mar 2, 2026
Oscar Orozco, Senior Director of Forecasting who tracks media trends, and Ethan Cramer-Flood, principal forecasting writer focused on time-spent analysis, dig into the social media addiction trials and their industry fallout. They discuss legal remedies, internal platform documents, and why YouTube and TV still dominate attention. They also explore where Americans actually spend nearly 13 hours of daily media time.
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Internal Docs Show Platforms Targeted Young Users
- Ethan cites internal documents showing YouTube compared itself to a babysitter and Meta employees likened tactics to tobacco, revealing internal awareness of attention mechanics.
- Marcus reads a Meta note saying bringing in tweens earlier increased long-term retention, highlighting intent to target young users.
Settlements Hint At Legal Risk For Major Apps
- TikTok and Snapchat settled pre-trial, signaling those companies may have preferred to avoid public litigation and suggesting plaintiffs saw a viable case.
- Ethan argues these settlements hint at legal risk even if motives to settle are multifaceted.
Causation Is The Legal Hinge In Addiction Claims
- Clinical and legal friction is central: excessive social media use isn't classified as an addiction in the DSM-5, complicating causation claims.
- Tech lawyers argue personal trauma better explains plaintiff outcomes, making causation the prosecutor's toughest hurdle.