Social Media Jury Trials and Lessons from Tobacco w/ The University of Auckland's Dr Samantha Marsh: 2 February, 2026

Last week, Social Media Companies began to face a Jury Trial for the first time. The claims being made are that social media is addictive and harmful for young people’s mental health; and that this is by design.

While this unfolds, experts have pointed to significant links between this trial, and those faced by the Tobacco Industry. Similar arguments are being made, on both sides, and there are lessons that can be taken from the decades long fight to hold tobacco and smoking accountable for its health harms.

Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Senior Research Fellow in General Practice and Primary Care at the school of Population health at the University of Auckland, Dr Samantha Marsh, about these links, and what more we need to see about social media based harms domestically.