[kellystonelake]

“ You can’t walk into a restaurant, sit in a car, or step onto a playground without seeing someone using. Poison is sold as connection: it’s a way to relax, to belong, to be cool, while harm accumulates. But it’s our glue: used before a first date, used to deepen friendships, our stress often dissolves in the ritual of lighting up, breathing it in. Parents use in the kitchen, teachers in the lounge. Even if it’s not allowed at school, our kids use between classes. And we accept it, because to not partake is to opt out of culture itself. The companies swear they’re improving our lives. They commission glossy studies, buy politicians, and wrap their product in the language of freedom. Critics are painted as hysterical, alarmist, and anti-progress. The companies insist responsibility belongs to individuals, not industry. If people get sick, something else is to blame. And even when the evidence mounts—disease, addiction, death—these companies continue insisting the problem is overblown. CEOs testify under oath that their product does not cause harm. They hooked a whole generation before we could process how deep the damage runs. Of course, it’s not 1960 anymore. I’m not talking about cigarettes—I’m talking about social media.”