By Brendan Scanland
WASHINGTON, D.C. — According to the American Psychological Association, American teens spend an average of almost five hours each day on social media. As the hours increase, so do mental health concerns.
“Our country is in the throes of a mental health crisis,” said Senator Katie Britt (R- AL). “The situation is clearly getting more devastating. It seems to just be getting worse.”
According to the U.S. Surgeon General, adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media, double the risk of symptoms of anxiety and depression than those who do not. Between 2011-2019, teenage depression rates more than doubled.
“It’s undeniable that social media can have a destructive impact on mental health and just the quality of life. I mean, it’s impacted mine in the past,” said Sen. John Fetterman (D- PA).
Senators Fetterman and Britt have teamed up by sponsoring legislation to create a warning label for social media platforms. The goal is to promote healthier social media usage.
“In an age where we brag about being more connected than ever, we’ve actually never been further apart,” said Sen. Britt when introducing the legislation this fall. “Senator Fetterman and I are on the same page about this. There should be a warning label on social media.”
The Stop the Scroll Act mandates that the Surgeon General design, and the Federal Trade Commission enforce, a warning label system for social media platforms. It would appear as a pop-up box upon opening a platform and caution users about mental health risks associated with social media use, while also providing links to mental health resources
“It’s a much different kind of environment than I grew up. And I’m not a Luddite, but I am a parent. I’m a senator, and I would want this for my kids. And I have to believe that the people that work at these tech companies would want the same kinds of things for their own,” said Sen. Fetterman.
According to the National Institutes of Health, 95% of teenagers ages 13-17 are on social media, with more than one-third saying they use it “almost constantly.”
