The platforms are designed by some of the smartest engineers alive, optimized over a decade against billions of A/B tests, to keep your eyes on the screen. They have succeeded — and the receipts of that success are now visible in the data on adolescent mental health, sleep, attention, civic discourse, and the people who built them and quit.
This site is not a moral panic. It is a tax bill. The goal is to lay out the evidence plainly, so anyone can decide for themselves what they want to keep paying for.
How it was compiled
The dossier was compiled in April 2026. It draws on government statistics, peer-reviewed research, investigative journalism, internal corporate documents made public through whistleblower disclosure, and active litigation records. Where the literature contains genuine scientific disagreement, the document attempts to represent both sides fairly; where the consensus is strong, it states the consensus.
Numbers cited as percentages are rounded to whole numbers unless decimal precision changes the meaning. Years are calendar years. Where surveys ask about “the past year,” the figure should be read as a 12-month prevalence, not a lifetime rate. International data have been included where they are most rigorous; the document is otherwise focused on the United States.
A living document
As new data become available — particularly the 2025 YRBS cycle, the 2026 Common Sense Census, and the outcomes of the Meta multistate litigation — sections will be updated. Suggestions for additions, corrections, or clarifications are welcome.
Imagery and credits
All photography is sourced from Pexels under their permissive license. Photographers are credited inline at each image. These are stock images chosen for editorial atmosphere; none of the people pictured are the subjects of the stories told. The portraits in Section XII represent the cases of Molly Russell, Selena Rodriguez, and Jordan DeMay only by reference; their actual photographs belong to their families and have not been republished here.
Who built this
Compiled and synthesized by Champlin Enterprises. If you’re a parent, journalist, school administrator, or policymaker who wants to use this material, you’re welcome to. Cite the primary sources directly — they are the work that matters.