Editor’s note: C.J. Strehl, who describes himself as an Eden Prairie resident, concerned parent and school board member from 2021 to 2025, wrote this commentary.
In 1994, the U.S. finally confronted the public harm of cigarettes and tobacco – not to ban adult use, but to protect minors, recover financial costs and hold Big Tobacco accountable for decades of deceit. The facts were damning:
Denial of harm and deaths for decades
Suppressed internal research
Millions spent lobbying Congress
A business model built on addicting kids early
It took a multi-state class action to force real change. In 1998, Big Tobacco signed the Master Settlement Agreement, paying billions in penalties and facing long-overdue regulation. Society found balance, corrected course, respected adult choice and saved lives.
Now an even bigger threat – at our fingertips
Today, we face a more pervasive crisis: Big Tech. Its impact on mental health, social cohesion and democratic stability is arguably greater than tobacco’s ever was – yet it’s largely unchecked. Just like its predecessor, Big Tobacco:
Denies harm caused by its platforms
Buried internal research linking social media to depression, anxiety, suicide, mass shootings and political polarization
Spends billions lobbying policymakers to stall action
Designs products to hook children and adults early with addictive, curated reality
The parallels are undeniable. It’s time Big Tech is held to the same standard as Big Tobacco – not to ban adult use, but to:
Protect minors from addictive platforms
Address the social and financial harm
Demand accountability and restitution
Protect society from the asymmetric harm caused by social media
The stakes are higher. While tobacco affected the lungs, Big Tech affects the mind, relationships, civil discourse, societal trust and our democracy. The products aren’t just addictive – they profit on division, misinformation and self-harm. Unlike a smoker who feels the burn in their chest, the damage of social media is insidious – slower to show, but a deeper impact.
We know we need help! We know we are already addicted to social media, our curated political bubbles, the outrage sown on the platforms, the narrow group articles, “friends” and influencers social media serves up. We are no different from the addicted pack-a-day smoker preyed on by Big Tobacco – except there is one difference: the smoker instinctively knew the cigarettes were harmful – the burn, the cough, the cancer.
We feel it already
We ask ourselves:
Why are we lonelier?
Why is polarization worse?
Why does democracy feel fragile?
Why are kids hurting themselves and each other at unprecedented rates?
Why can’t we have civil discourse without resorting to name-calling, personal attacks, violence, assassination and destruction?
These aren’t coincidences. They’re symptoms of unchecked digital addiction. And like the free cigarette or drug offered by a dealer, social media’s “free” cost is staggering.
Why do most drug dealers provide the first hit for free? They know they will get repeat customers who become addicted and come back for more. Isn’t it interesting that Big Tech products are similarly free? Does this business model sound familiar?
Expect the social media companies to fight even harder than Big Tobacco, as they are larger, have stronger monopoly positions and spend billions more to lobby Congress, and many of their customers are unaware of their addiction. Although it will be hard, we must try to find a better solution.
Some Big Tech shareholders and employees do care. Change is possible – but only if society demands it. We must support nationwide class-action lawsuits brought by state attorneys general, push for legislative reform, transparency, restitution and compensation for the future harm to come. We must begin to link these societal harms to their root cause and hold Big Tech responsible.
Because our kids, our community – and our country – can’t afford more delay. As a society, we did it before. We have a model: it was lawful, it was fair, and it worked. We can do it again – but we have to get started now to prevent the next tragedy.