Youth mental health / social media regulation
N.J. bill would study how social media affects kids
The measure would have state researchers look at when labels appear, what they say and whether they change behavior. Findings would go to lawmakers and the governor with recommendations.
New Jersey is moving ahead with a research-first response to social media harm. The bill would gather evidence on addictive use and spell out possible fixes for young users.
- New Jersey would create a Social Media Research Center.
- The bill focuses on addictive use, not an immediate ban.
- Its findings cite teen mental-health risks, sleep disruption and harmful content.
- Lawmakers would get recommendations for possible next steps.
- New Jersey is taking a research-first approach to the question many parents already live with at home: what does endless scrolling do to kids?
New Jersey is taking a research-first approach to the question many parents already live with at home: what does endless scrolling do to kids? In New Jersey, the proposal would create a Social Media Research Center to study addictive social-media behaviors and make recommendations, rather than order an immediate ban or direct restriction.
The bill’s findings frame the issue as a youth health concern, not just a tech problem. They point to the U.S. Surgeon General’s May 2023 advisory on social media and youth mental health as the backdrop for the work.
The teen screen problem
The findings argue that the scale of the issue is already obvious. They say up to 95% of Americans ages 13 to 17 use a social-media platform, and they cite research saying adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of poor mental-health outcomes such as depression and anxiety symptoms.
The bill also links heavy use to specific kinds of harm. It says children and adolescents are especially vulnerable during brain development, and that social-media content can feed body dissatisfaction, disordered eating behaviors, social comparison and low self-esteem, especially among adolescent girls. It also points to sleep loss and reduced physical activity as part of the damage.
Research instead of restriction
That matters because the bill is building a record for future action, not trying to solve the whole problem in one step. The center’s job is to gather evidence and return recommendations, giving lawmakers a foundation they could use later if they choose to tighten guidance or pursue other policy changes.
The measure does not claim social media is the only force shaping teen mental health. It treats the platform itself as something worth studying closely, with the state asking whether addictive behavior is driving harms that schools, families and public health officials are already trying to manage.