WASHINGTON D.C., (WTVY) – A new bipartisan bill is on the U.S. Senate floor that aims to protect children’s mental health from the harmful effects of social media.
The ‘Stop the Scroll Act’, introduced by Senators Katie Britt (R-AL) and John Fetterman (D-PA), comes after a recommendation from U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to put warning labels on social media platforms.
According to Britt, Murthy claims that adolescents who spend more than 3 hours a day on social media face double the risk of experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression than those who don’t.
“We all know that our kids aren’t just on there for 3 hours, in fact, look at the data again, they’re there for 5 hours a day on average,” Britt continued.
In the bill, it’s said that the extended use of social media and addictive algorithms negatively impact mental health.
This, Britt reports, is especially true when it comes to the mental health of adolescents.
If passed, the ‘Stop the Scroll Act’ will make it mandatory for warning labels to pop up before a person is able to use a social media app. Each user would then acknowledge potential mental health risks in order to use the platform.
The pop-up will also provide the option for a user to connect with available mental health resources as needed.
As a parent, Senator Britt has seen first-hand the struggles many face raising children in a highly digital world.
”While we should always be wary of blaming JUST one culprit, I think there’s one that stands out amongst the rest, and that’s social media usage. Social media needs a warning label, and that’s what our bill does,” said Britt.
If passed, it will mandate social media warnings across social media platforms being used in the U.S.
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