BILL NUMBER: S5476
SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law and the education law, in relation
to establishing a statewide youth mental health and social media
campaign to promote public awareness of the impacts of social media
usage on mental health
 
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this bill is to create a public education campaign and
accompanying school curriculum to inform the public, students, and
educators about the negative impacts of social media on the mental
health of young people.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of this bill would require the Commissioner of Health, in
conjunction with the Commissioner of Education, Commissioner of Mental
Health, and Director of the Office of Information Technology Services,
to establish a statewide youth mental health and social media campaign,
including the promotion of public awareness of existing research and
statistics regarding youth mental health and social media use, increased
awareness of and access to youth mental health resources, and promotion
of healthy behaviors related to young people's use of social media.
Section 2 of this bill would require the regents to provide instruction
to students in grades K-12 regarding social media use behaviors and its
impact on mental health, and require school districts to provide their
teachers with curriculum materials which will vary based on the ages,
needs, and abilities of the students they are intended for.
Section 3 of this bill provides that the effective date shall take
effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall
have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
on or before such effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
A 2018 report by the Pew Research Center demonstrates that approximately
950 of teens in the U.S. have access to a smartphone, and 450 of those
teens say they are online almost constantly. A 2019 study from Johns
Hopkins University observed that the longer teens spent using social
media per day, the greater risk they had of reporting mental health
struggles. With almost half of teens across the nation constantly on
their smartphones, it is no wonder that youth mental health problems
have increased by over 40% in the past decade. Recent research affirms
this conclusion, continually showing that the overwhelming presence of
this technology correlates with increased feelings of isolation and
anxiety, poor sleep quality, and cyberbullying.
However, these same studies also demonstrate that when teens exercise
healthy behaviors with smartphones and social media those actions are
correlated with feelings of connection and self-expression. Young people
may be susceptible to increased risks of mental health struggles without
proper awareness of the risks of excessive use of social media.
Sadly, improper social media use can have devastating consequences. In
the worst-case scenarios, exposing young people to hateful ideologies
that promote extremism and violence leads to violence. A recent report
by the State Attorney General details how the Buffalo Shooter, who
murdered ten Black New Yorkers and injured three others in a Tops
grocery store, was deeply influenced by content on social media plat-
forms that perpetuated white supremacy and antisemitism. There are many
factors that need to be addressed regarding racist acts of violence such
as this horrific example in Buffalo on May 14, 2022; however, parents
and educators can play an important role in combating the perpetuation
of hateful and violent rhetoric online by promoting healthy and safe
ways to navigate social media and establishing open conversations with
young people about how their mental health may be impacted by what they
view on social media.
A statewide public awareness campaign about the risks of unhealthy use
of social media among young people is crucial for educating the public
on a significant factor in our country's mental health crisis. Parents
and educators must be equipped with knowledge about the risks of social
media so that they can encourage healthy behaviors among young people
and protect them against increased risks of mental health problems.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024: S7662
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date
on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addi-
tion, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for
the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to
be made and completed on or before such effective date.