Young people are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis, amplified by political upheaval, school shootings, and climate uncertainty. However, skyrocketing costs for behavioral health, too few therapists to address the needs, and the devastating impacts of social media are worsening our youth mental health crisis.
There’s a movement afoot in Washington, D.C. to introduce legislation that prevents harmful social media content from reaching our children. Senate leadership is weighing support for three online safety bills to protect children from the potentially damaging impacts of social media. One such bill, The Kids Online Safety Act, would, among other things, prohibit social media from spreading potentially harmful material on topics like suicide or eating disorders, POLITICO reports. Others reportedly being considered include an update to a foundational online safety regulation, The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), while another, the Kids Off Social Media Act, would prohibit kids younger than 13 from accessing social media altogether.
