Britt and Fetterman introduce legislation to protect youth from negative impacts of social media

In a joint effort, U.S. Sens. Katie Britt and John Fetterman introduced the Stop the Scroll Act, a bill requiring social media platforms to carry warning labels on the mental health risks associated with social media use. The bill aims to protect youth mental health by providing information and resources to users, such as contacts for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Users would need to acknowledge the warning to proceed or disable it for subsequent social media use. Britt emphasized the need to prioritize well-being and combat the mental health crisis caused by social media use. Despite possible opposition from tech giants, Britt believes the bill can garner bipartisan support to address the rising rates of depression and suicide among teens due to prolonged social media use. Meanwhile, Rep. Ben Robbins is also working on a similar bill that would impose warning labels and restrictions on social media usage based on age and time spent online. Both initiatives aim to address the mental health crisis fueled by excessive social media use and protect vulnerable populations, particularly adolescents. Britt’s efforts to introduce guardrails on internet use for adolescents by implementing warning labels are seen as crucial steps towards safeguarding mental health and prioritizing the well-being of individuals in the digital age.

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