Social Media is the New Opioid Epidemic

I recently sent a letter to 17 senators on the Judiciary subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, and subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights. I also sent it to the general email of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform and Antitrust.

Please feel to copy and paste it and send to your senators and representatives.

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Dear Congress person,

​I’m a concerned citizen writing to all members of Congress in relevant subcommittees to bring attention to the urgent need for accountability regarding social media platforms, especially Meta (Facebook, Instagram). These platforms have become not only an addiction but a public health crisis in their own right—much like the opioid epidemic that has devastated millions.

Meta has intentionally designed its technology to exploit human vulnerabilities, creating a system that promotes addiction. Just as opioid manufacturers knew about the dangers of their products but continued to profit, Meta has been aware of the harm caused by its addictive algorithms. Internal research, whistleblower reports, and mounting evidence all point to the fact that Meta’s platforms contribute to significant mental health issues, particularly among young people.

The mental health crisis fueled by social media does not just apply to some small subset of people with addiction problems—it's widespread impacting hundreds of millions of people. The long-term damage is not fully known yet, but studies show users suffering from anxiety, depression, and loneliness, while society becomes more polarized with “fake news” and the erosion of trust in institutions.

How can we trust in our government when it fails to protect us from corporate corruption—whether through physical pollution of our food, air, and water, or the emotional pollution of our well-being through social media? Social media is the drug of the 21st century, and the lack of regulation surrounding privacy and algorithms is an embarrassment to humanity and civilization.

Meta must be held accountable for its role in creating this addiction, just as Big Pharma has faced consequences for the opioid crisis. We need regulation to protect users, transparency about the harmful effects of algorithms, and consequences for companies that prioritize profit over public well-being, particularly at the scale of harm that this is inflicting on people.

I urge you to consider the parallels between Meta and the opioid industry and take action to protect the public from further harm as soon as possible. 

Power is consolidating into the hands of a very few tech moguls, and at some point, it may be too late to reverse the damage or even enact meaningful regulations if regulatory capture becomes too entrenched. The stranglehold corporations have on our government is not sustainable and is NOT in the public’s interest. The income gap is increasing while people are becoming more isolated, depressed and addicted.

This is a non-partisan issue - I hear the complaints and concerns on both sides, from conservative voices like Tucker Carlson to more liberal leaning ones like Chris Cuomo. 

We MUST come together.

Please, this is urgent. We need to show these companies that we care—that there are real people behind the data and the screens. That what they are doing is fundamentally breaking down the fabric of society. 

Sincerely, 
​Amanda

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The Times: We can’t ignore social media dangers any more
Capitalism incentivises tech to exploit human weakness—state intervention is the only answer