A court just ruled that tech addiction is real—and dangerous. It could be Meta and YouTube's Big Tobacco moment.

The article focuses on a landmark Los Angeles jury verdict holding Meta and Google-owned YouTube liable for negligence in designing addictive social media platforms that contributed to a young woman’s serious mental health issues. The case, which awarded the plaintiff $3 million in damages, highlights growing legal and societal concerns about "tech addiction," a term increasingly recognized despite not being formally classified as a medical diagnosis. The article also discusses treatment approaches at reSTART, a specialized rehab center for digital overuse, and presents expert views on how social media’s design exploits brain reward systems, fueling compulsive use. This verdict may influence future lawsuits and prompt Silicon Valley to reconsider platform features that encourage prolonged user engagement. [Extracted from the article]