Supervisor Lawson-Remer to Propose Plan to Protect Youth from Social Media Addiction

County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer Monday announced she will bring a proposal to the Board of Supervisors aimed at protecting young people from being victims of the “addictive algorithms” of social media.

The proposal, intended for next week’s board agenda, would direct the county’s legal team to explore filing and/or joining litigation against social media platforms for “their failure to protect youth mental health,” Lawson-Remer said in a statement.

In addition, it would include a resolution to support the U.S. surgeon general’s effort to put warning labels on social media platforms.

“Kids are being harmed by social media. It is affecting their mental and emotional well-being,” Lawson-Remer, the board’s vice chair, said.

“These platforms have knowingly developed addictive algorithms akin to the opioids manufactured by pharmaceutical companies. I want our county to legally intervene and throw our support behind the U.S. surgeon general’s recommendations.”

Last year, Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy warned that social media are “contributing to our nation’s youth mental health crisis.”

The American Psychological Association followed suit, linking social media use to reduced well-being and mood disorders — chiefly depression and anxiety — among people between the ages of 10 and 25.

The APA reported that U.S. teens spend an average of five hours every day using the seven most popular social media apps, with Instagram, TikTok and YouTube accounting for 87% of their social media time.

According to Lawson-Remer’s office, “Youth are now exposed daily to strategically designed social media algorithms and features that capitalize on their vulnerabilities to drive engagement.”

City News Service contributed to this article.