A Los Angeles jury delivered a verdict this week that is already reshaping conversations about technology and mental health. In a landmark ruling against Meta and YouTube, jurors determined that tech addiction is not only real but also dangerous, awarding a combined $6 million in damages to a young woman who argued that the deliberately addictive design of social media and video platforms played a direct role in her serious mental health struggles.
The decision has left millions of people with a pressing and deeply personal question: does my own relationship with technology cross a line?
What tech addiction actually looks like
Technology addiction is not as straightforward to identify as other behavioral health concerns, partly because screen use is so woven into daily work, socializing and entertainment. The line between normal use and something more problematic can feel blurry, which is exactly why clinicians in the field have developed structured screening tools to cut through that uncertainty.
Cosette Rae, co-founder of reSTART, a Washington state-based clinic that treats people experiencing severe technology addiction, helped develop a set of screening questions designed to guide individuals through an honest self-assessment. The prompts below are drawn from that questionnaire and are intended to help people move from a vague sense that something feels off to a clearer picture of how their online habits are shaping their lives.
6 questions to ask yourself honestly
How often do you think about your online activity? If your mind is constantly drifting toward what you are doing online, what you just did, or what you plan to do next, that persistent preoccupation is worth noting. When technology occupies mental space during work, face-to-face conversations or rest, it may be taking up more room than you realize.
Do you feel restless or irritable when you cannot get online? Mild frustration when the internet goes down is common. Experiencing genuine agitation, anger or anxiety when you are cut off from online activity is a different matter entirely and worth examining more closely.
Have you tried to cut back but failed? Repeatedly setting limits and then exceeding them points to a real loss of control. That consistent gap between what you intend to do and what you actually do is one of the clearest indicators that your habits may be slipping beyond your reach.
Have non-digital activities lost their appeal? When hobbies, sports, or time with family start feeling flat compared with scrolling or gaming, it suggests your brain’s reward system is recalibrating toward digital stimulation. Over time, that shift can quietly erode your offline life.
Have you hidden how much time you spend online? Minimizing your screen time, closing tabs when someone enters the room or underreporting hours to a partner or therapist can signal that you already sense something is off. Secrecy around a behavior is often a meaningful clue.
Has your online use cost you something significant? Missed deadlines, declining grades or strained relationships that trace directly back to time spent online are serious warning signs. When screens consistently take priority over responsibilities and the people who matter most, that pattern deserves close attention.
What to do with your answers
Answering yes to one or more of these questions does not automatically mean you are dealing with an addiction. These prompts are screening tools, not a clinical diagnosis. However, they are designed to help you see your habits more clearly and honestly, and to help you decide whether talking to a mental health professional might be a useful next step. With a $6 million jury verdict now putting the issue squarely in the public conversation, there has never been a more important moment to take that question seriously.
