A Mega Meta Lawsuit That May Not Change Much

Social media has been called digital tobacco based on addictive realities and the most recent push against the corporations who produce the product. For generations, tobacco use was normative. The simpler days depicted in old television shows often show people smoking cigarettes…a bunch. The legal drama “Perry Mason,” not unlike many shows of the era, were sponsored by tobacco companies. It is interesting to note that numerous actors in the show, such as William Hopper, Ray Collins, and William Talman all died due to smoking-related illnesses.[1] William Talman, who portrayed District Attorney Hamilton Burger (yes…his name was Ham Burger), became the first celebrity featured in an anti-smoking commercial.[2] Not unlike the cultural shift against tobacco, so too has been the recent antagonism toward large tech companies who create social media apps.

 “Big Tobacco” companies were dragged into the courtroom due to litigation about the safety of their products and the addictive nature of them. In 1994, the heads of the large companies gave sworn testimony before Congress that they did not believe nicotine to be addictive.[3] The images of the seven tobacco CEOs testifying left quite an impression on the American public. While they were lampooned, became election-year fodder, and led many to believe they had no credibility, the CEOs continued to hold their position for years. However, in 2000, several of the leaders acknowledged that smoking could be addictive.[4] Internal documents from the largest tobacco companies affirm their knowledge that cigarette use was a cause of cancer by the late 1950s.[5] These admissions make one wonder if Senator Howard Baker, Jr.’s question during the Senate Watergate Committee hearings n 1973 could have been asked to the Big Tobacco companies. He asked, “What did the President (or in this case the CEOs) know, and when did he know it?”[6]

Why bring up the Big Tobacco suit? Not unlike a 1950s era television show that has been repeated over and again in syndication, this most recent trial featuring Meta and CEO Mark Zuckerberg seems like a rerun. Just swap “Big Tobacco” with “Big Tech” and we either have a rerun, reboot, or a reimagination of something already seen.

The addictive nature of social media has been acknowledged. Just as Big Tobacco promoted cigarette use to young people, knowing the harm it could cause, so too has Big Tech promoted products with the same potential.[7] To read more in a previous article click here.

A Huge Decision That May Not Do What Many Wish

The lawsuit against Meta resulted in a landmark settlement. Meta will be paying $17.1 billion to 47 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.[8] That amount is overwhelming, but it should be noted that Meta is worth $1.47 trillion. Since most of us simply cannot comprehend that amount of money, remember that you need 1,000 individual billions to equal one trillion.

Nonetheless, $17.1 billion is a lot of money.

Zuckerberg, the founder and owner of Meta (parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and more) agreed to the financial penalties. The reasoning was centered on the violation of federal child privacy and states’ consumer protection laws.[9]

The agreement will lead Meta to ban certain features for minors and limit screen time on apps for teenagers. Issues and features that have created concerns for mental health will also be addressed and limited. Statistics state that teenagers in America spend nearly five hours daily on social media. Concerns from such platforms relate to the messages regarding physical appearance, self-esteem, body image, social likability and unhealthy comparisons.[10] 

This mega Meta lawsuit will no doubt be followed by others.

Yet, does this fix the issue?

Teenagers and young people have faced low self-esteem for years. Bullying has always existed. Body-image, social likability and surviving adolescence unscathed has been challenging for decades. There have always been “mean girls” (and guys). Social media just moved the issues from occasional to perpetual and suddenly the safe places for generations past, such as home, have been lost. People joke about FOMO (fear of missing out) but rarely will you see someone comfortable with their cell phone not perpetually in their possession.

The dopamine hits that come from every notification, shared meme, and funny story are authentic. Of course, in the age of helicopter parenting, the phones for children are perceived needs. It may be helicopter parenting or just the natural reality of living in a fast-paced, information-overloaded, even dangerous society. We want to know where are children are…all the time.

Good Parenting Cannot Be Legislated or Litigated

Meta may be doling out one of the largest settlements in history. They will be changing their policies. Systems will morph. Access for minors will be limited. This is a victory certainly. But this is not a fix.

There will still be minors who scroll for five hours a day. This may shock some, but people lie (even our children) and while some older people lie about their birth year to seem younger, minors will lie to seem older. If a fake driver’s license could be created by an underage teenager so they could procure alcoholic beverages at a local Jiffy Mart, scrolling to another year on an app is easy.

For those who do not allow their teenagers to have social media, I applaud you. However, I will remind you that most teenagers have friends. Friends let friends do things their parents would not like. Thus, burner accounts, fake birthdates, and a friend’s phone become the “work around.” Then there are the online doorways through video games, even ones like Minecraft.

Meta cannot parent our children. The government certainly cannot. Dangers exist and according to scripture, our enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Since parents are gifted children by God, he also provides wisdom, resilience, and strength. Moms and dads often get blamed for much that is broken in the lives of their children and teenagers. Perhaps years of unbiblical psychology has led to much of this.

In most cases (there are certainly some extremely bad examples) mothers and fathers seek to do the very best for their children. Parents experience heartbreak when their child is on the receiving end of harmful words, when they are left out, and when they go into a mentally dark place. Good mothers and fathers will do whatever they can to help their child. Awareness is essential. 

Screens are here to stay. Our children and teenagers have never known a world without smartphones. The impact of these devices has changed the world. These are simply tools, but a word to the wise is sufficient—addiction and harm have occurred. Tools may be used wisely or unwisely.

We may be able to hire someone to change the oil in our cars, to paint our houses, or to mow our lawns, but we cannot outsource our parenting.

Children are a gift from God to parents.

Parents are a gift from God to children 

Mom and dad—God is for you!

Use the social media checks that will be implemented but remember…no setting on a phone can replace you. And it may be worth noting that most teenagers do not use Facebook. That is the social media app for parents and grandparents, they say. Instagram is still used, but so too are additional products not connected to the Meta lawsuit.

There will still be more to address related to social media and young people. Parental controls are good, but only as good as the parents who use and enforce them.[11]

Psalm 127:3 (ESV)

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. [12]

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[1] Lambert, Larry. 14 Facts about the TV Show ‘perry Mason” | by Larrylambert | Medium, 2 Mar. 2026, larrylambert269.medium.com/14-facts-about-the-tv-show-perry-mason-f70b180bbf5f.

[2] “William Talman- Perry Mason’s Hamilton Burger- Was in a Landmark Anti-Smoking Commercial.” MeTV, 3 July 2024, www.metv.com/stories/william-talman-perry-masons-hamilton-burger-was-in-a-landmark-anti-smoking-commercial.

[3] Subcommittee on Health and the Environment of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, United States Congress Hearings on Regulation of Tobacco Products, 14 April 1994.

[4] Henningfield, Jack E, et al. “Tobacco Industry Litigation Position on Addiction: Continued Dependence on Past Views.” Tobacco Industry Litigation Position on Addiction: Continued Dependence on Past Views, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Dec. 2006, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2563585/.

[5] Cummings, K. Michael, et al. The Cigarette Controversy | Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention | American Association for Cancer Research, 4 June 2007, aacrjournals.org/cebp/article/16/6/1070/260310/The-Cigarette-Controversy.

[6] Bassetti, Victoria. “The Curious History of ‘What Did the President Know, and When Did He Know It?’” Brennan Center for Justice, 12 Mar. 2018, www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/curious-history-what-did-president-know-and-when-did-he-know-it.

[7] Tarkington, David. “Doomscrolling & the Depressive Addiction of the Digital.” David Tarkington, David Tarkington, 8 Apr. 2026,  www.davidtarkington.org/read/2026/socialmedia.

[8] Kang, Cecilia, and Eli Tan. Meta to Pay up to $17.1 Billion in Landmark Settlement over Social Media Addiction Claims - The New York Times, The New York, 26 Aug. 2026, www.nytimes.com/2026/08/26/technology/meta-settlement-social-media-addiction-lawsuit.html.

[9] Kang.

[10] LeBlanc, Ricky A. “Social Media Addiction Lawsuit: Sokolove Law.” Social Addiction, 21 Apr. 2026, www.socialaddiction.sokolovelaw.com.

[11] Suhr, Daniel R. “At Least Some Accountability for Social Media | World.” World News Global, 31 Aug. 2026, wng.org/opinions/at-least-some-accountability-for-social-media-1788063489.

[12] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Ps 127:3.