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Will social media addiction go the way of cigarettes?
Smoking among the rich has declined dramatically – and digital dependency could follow a similar pattern.
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Breaking addictive habits, whether smoking or social media – or not developing them in the first place – is harder if you have less access to education, supportive peers and healthcare, says the writer.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Sarah O’Connor
The year 2026 has brought a flurry of headlines about social media’s “Big Tobacco moment” as regulators and courts turn their attention to technology platforms. It is easy to see why social media’s critics would hope for a tipping point akin to what happened with smoking.
In the middle of the 20th century, nearly half of adults in the US smoked. By 2020, the rate was about 13 per cent. But the story of smoking’s decline had a sting in the tail: Many of society’s poorest stayed hooked. Might the same be true for social media consumption?
