Social Media’s Shadow: Audiences Crave Stories That Hold Big Tech Accountable
The pervasive influence of social media on our lives, particularly on young people, has been a source of growing concern and debate. The fictionalized depiction of these anxieties in shows like "Adolescence," released in 2025, has only amplified the conversation, bringing the issue into the mainstream and sparking a wave of public discourse. While the narrative around social media’s impact has gained momentum, a new study reveals a critical gap in how these harms are being framed. Instead of attributing responsibility to the business practices and systemic issues within the tech industry, the focus predominantly rests on individual choices and parental responsibility.
The report, titled "Off the Hook: Entertainment and News Coverage Rarely Blame Tech Corporations for Social Media Harms," conducted by the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center and supported by Luminate, offers a comprehensive analysis of news and entertainment content across the United States, United Kingdom, and France. The study reveals a stark disconnect between public perception and media portrayal: audiences recognize the detrimental effects of social media, but the narratives they consume rarely connect these harms to the structural decisions made by tech giants. This stands in stark contrast to the way other industries, such as fossil fuels or tobacco, have been depicted, where corporate accountability has been a central theme.
This disconnect extends beyond the assignment of blame. The study highlights a tendency to focus on the immediate, personalized harms of social media, particularly on children and youth, while overlooking the broader societal implications. The analysis of fictional portrayals, encompassing 76 TV episodes and films, found that only a small fraction directly implicated tech companies. Instead, the narrative often revolved around personal failings or parental oversight, failing to address the systemic issues driving these harms. Similarly, news coverage, especially on television, rarely delved into the underlying mechanisms of the "attention economy" or "surveillance capitalism," preferring to focus on individual cases and anecdotes.
This narrow framing extends to the proposed solutions as well. The report found a distinct lack of focus on systemic remedies like government regulation or antitrust action, particularly in television news. While print media exhibited a slightly greater tendency to discuss these solutions, the specifics of implementation and the potential for collective action remained largely unexplored. This absence of structural solutions reinforces a sense of fatalism, portraying social media harms as inevitable and insurmountable. The study notes that fictional narratives, in particular, often presented these issues as unsolvable, further discouraging any notion of meaningful change.
Another critical observation from the study concerns the voices being amplified in the media. While corporate spokespeople feature prominently, the perspectives of those directly impacted by social media harms are often marginalized. The study found a significant disparity in representation, with a disproportionate focus on men and a lack of diversity in voices. Moreover, the media’s fascination with tech CEOs like Elon Musk, whose personality often overshadows discussions of the business models and systemic issues within the industry, further contributes to this imbalance.
Despite the prevailing narratives, the study’s audience surveys reveal a strong appetite for stories that challenge the status quo. A significant majority of respondents expressed interest in narratives that directly address the role of Big Tech, expose corporate malfeasance, and highlight the stories of whistleblowers and those affected by online harms. This demand for greater accountability is particularly pronounced among younger and more progressive audiences.
The report concludes with a call to action for content creators and journalists to reframe the narrative around social media. It urges them to move beyond individual narratives and explore the systemic roots of these harms, highlighting the business models that drive problematic behaviors and exacerbate societal issues. The report also recommends showcasing a wider spectrum of harms, extending beyond the focus on youth to encompass the impact on marginalized communities, public health, and even climate change. By shifting the focus from individual responsibility to corporate accountability and offering glimpses of potential solutions, the media can empower audiences to demand change and contribute to a more informed and constructive public discourse. This includes embracing narratives that depict collective action and showcase the potential for systemic change, rather than perpetuating a sense of helplessness and inevitability. The success of "Adolescence" suggests a public yearning for such narratives, and by heeding the call for greater accountability, the media can play a crucial role in shaping a more responsible and equitable digital future.
