OAN Staff Stephanie Myers
11:00 AM – Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Senators Katie Britt and John Fetterman introduced a bill that would require social media platforms to include mental health warning labels.
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The Stop the Scroll Act was introduced Tuesday in response to growing concerns about social media’s impact on mental health, particularly for adolescents.
The bipartisan legislation would ensure all users, especially adolescents, are aware of the potential mental health risks posed by social media usage and are provided access to mental health resources, according to a press release.
“As a Senator, but more importantly, as a dad to three young kids, I feel a duty to address how dangerous unchecked social media can be for our mental health. The evidence is right in front of us– addicting, anxiety, depression, and suicide are on the rise, and it’s directly tied to these platforms,” Senator Fetterman (D-Pa.) said.
Fetterman noted how the bill will help kids and parents take control of their social media use, and not the other way around.
“The only requirement that this bill create is that the warning label include a way to quickly access mental health resources,” said Senator Britt (R-Ala.).
Senator Britt acknowledged that warning labels won’t prevent Americans from using social media apps, but believed the warning will empower users to make informed decisions, comparing it to when a doctor tells a patient to limit their sugar intake.
“Many kids acknowledge that social media’s bad for them and many parents acknowledge that too, but the situation is clearly getting more devastating. It seems to just be getting worse,” Senator Britt said on the Senate Floor.
In June, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy wrote in an op-ed calling for a warning label be placed on social media platforms, which would require congressional action.
“The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor. Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and the average daily use in this age group, as of the summer of 2023, was 4.8 hours,” Murthy wrote.
Murthy cited evidence from tobacco studies that show warning labels can increase awareness and change behavior.
Attorneys General of 42 states and U.S. territories urged Congress earlier this month to pass a bill proposed by Murthy to combat the negative effects of social media usage.
Text of Senator Britt and Fetterman’s bill can be viewed here.
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