Social media is the curse of our time

Samuel Buchmann

19/2/2026

Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson

For years, Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms have been getting away with turning us into addicts and damaging our mental health. Frankly, this leaves me speechless.

In the US, a young woman has taken two social media platforms to court. She’s accusing them of providing products that made her addicted and mentally ill from a young age. A back and forth about definitions of addiction, causal connections and liability ensued. It will take years, and nothing’s likely to change in the end. Although it may be legally sound, I’m frustrated by it. Why? Because the ruthlessness of the platforms is blatant.

There’s no question that social media is addictive. And obviously the providers know this. The addictive factor isn’t a bug either, it’s a feature. Big Tech’s paying the brightest minds of our time obscenely high salaries to develop algorithms that’ll keep us engaged for as long as possible. Our attention is more valuable than gold. It’s harvested and auctioned off to the highest bidders.

But does social media also have good sides? Sure. But the cons are increasingly outweighing the pros. Algorithmic content and AI slop have largely replaced the social aspect. The bottom line is that the current platforms are wreaking havoc on our mental health, dividing our society and wasting our lives. And no one’s stopping them. Not moral concerns, because the financial incentives dwarf them. Not the justice system, because its mills grind too slowly. Not politics, because the pressure from the lobbies and Wall Street is too great.

Digital heroin for kids

Instead, we could appeal to the personal responsibility of users. But that’s like telling a gambling addict to get a grip. Experts have been warning us for years that endlessly scrolling through short videos triggers the same processes in the brain as using a slot machine. The algorithms are shamelessly exploiting our dopamine centres. If you want to avoid the omnipresent temptation, you need incredible willpower.

Children and adolescents are even less able to assess the risk of addiction (page in German). The fact that they’re still allowed to use Instagram and TikTok is absurd. Anyone selling alcohol to minors is fined. If you push cocaine in the schoolyard, you’re going to prison. Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg is pushing digital heroin to kids and being rewarded with immeasurable wealth.

And parents are in a dilemma. Ban an individual child from social media and you might be turning them into an isolated outsider. At the same time, allowing them to use the platforms can lead to addiction, bullying and low self-esteem. Again, the providers have known this for a long time. However, polarisation and engagement through negative content are far too lucrative to take these social consequences into consideration.

Outsmarting yourself as a last resort

At this point, I’d really like to draw a positive conclusion. But I’m not feeling too optimistic. Corporations won’t change of their own accord, but will continue to exploit the legal framework to maximise their profits. Advertisers (including Digitec Galaxus) will continue to pay Meta and Co. money because they want to reach their target groups. Most users will continue to scroll themselves into misery because powerful algorithms are tricking their brains.

The only way to improve the situation is through stricter laws, as there are for other addictive substances. Glimmers of hope are, for example, social media bans for adolescents and EU regulatory efforts. But on a global scale, they’re just a drop in the ocean. And whether these laws can actually be enforced is another matter.

So for now, all I can offer are my personal recommendations. It’s tough to delete social media completely because it permeates our society. Ideally, you can manage without it. If not, try using the platforms moderately and raise awareness with friends and family. Even small things like time limits and deactivating notifications help combat addiction. Try removing apps from the first page of your smartphone. You’ll be surprised how little you’ll miss them.

Samuel Buchmann

Senior Editor

Samuel.Buchmann@digitecgalaxus.ch

My fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.

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