Bill
Bill > SR75
summary
Introduced
02/15/2024
02/15/2024
In Committee
02/15/2024
02/15/2024
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2024-2025 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This resolution urges Congress and the President of the United States to enact the "Kids Online Safety Act." Social media use is associated with poor mental health outcomes for minors. Social media platforms are designed to promote addictive behavior patterns, encouraging its users to engage with social media more frequently and for a greater length of time. As a result, over the past decade, the rate of social media use has risen significantly among both tween (children between the ages of 8 and 12 years old) and teenage (children between the ages of 13 and 17 years old) populations. Simultaneously, the prevalence of mental illness among children and adolescents has grown at an alarming rate. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 36.7 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 report feeling sad or hopeless, 18.8 percent have seriously considered attempting suicide, and 15.7 percent have developed a suicide plan. A seminal 2020 psychological study found strong associations between increased social media use and higher rates of mental illness among minors, especially adolescent girls. Since then, several studies have published findings to support the negative impact of social media on depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphia among children and adolescents. Despite this growing wealth of research, the social media sector has yet to meaningfully address the mental health impact of its technology on minors. The "Kids Online Safety Act" was introduced by United States Senator Richard Blumenthal and various cosponsors and would promote data safety, prevent and mitigate patterns of use that indicate or encourage addictive behaviors, expand parental control features, and require social media platforms to prevent promotion of harmful material for minors. By enacting the "Kids Online Safety Act," Congress and the President of the United States can address the growing mental health crisis associated with social media use among children and adolescents.
AI Summary
This resolution urges Congress and the President of the United States to enact the "Kids Online Safety Act" in response to the growing mental health crisis among children and adolescents linked to social media use. The resolution highlights alarming statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which show that 36.7 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 report feeling sad or hopeless, and significant percentages have considered or planned suicide. Drawing on research that demonstrates strong associations between social media use and mental health issues, particularly among adolescent girls, the resolution points out that social media platforms are designed to create addictive behavior patterns through features like likes, shares, and comments that trigger the brain's reward center. The proposed legislation, introduced by Senator Richard Blumenthal, aims to promote data safety, prevent addictive behaviors, expand parental control features, and require social media platforms to prevent the promotion of harmful content to minors. With data showing increased social media usage among tweens and teenagers—including 95 percent of teenagers using social media and 38 percent of tweens using it regularly—the resolution seeks to address the urgent need for protective measures to safeguard young users' mental health.
Committee Categories
Business and Industry
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Commerce Committee (on 02/15/2024)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/SR75 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2024/SR/75_I1.HTM |
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