Sen. Britt introduces new bill to add warning labels to social media

On Tuesday, Senators Katie Britt, R-AL, and John Fetterman, D-PA, introduced a bipartisan bill on the Senate floor that looks to add warning labels to social media platforms. The so-called “Stop the Scroll Act” would require social media platforms to add a warning label to ensure that all users are aware of the potential mental health risks posed by social media use. The label would also provide direct access to mental health resources for users.

“Our country is in the throes of a mental health crisis,” Britt said while addressing the Senate. “Just look at the data. 20 percent of Americans between the ages of 12 and 17 experienced at least one major depressive episode in 2021. When looking at just girls, that number then increases to 29 percent.”

“Between the years of 2011 and 2019 depression rates amongst our teenagers more than doubled,” Britt continued. “The number of adolescents who reported a major depressive episode shot up 60 percent from 2007 to 2019. Emergency room visits by children and teens for anxiety, mood disorders, and self-harm increased sharply during this time as well.”

Britt went on to note the sharp increase in suicide rates among children and young adults in recent years as well. “Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 44,” Britt stated.

“In an age where we brag about being more connected than ever, we’ve actually never been further apart,” Britt continued. “And while we should always be weary of blaming just one culprit, there is one thing that stands out amongst the rest, and that’s social media usage.”

“54 percent of American teenagers admit that it would be really hard to give up their social media and 35 percent of American teenagers say that they’re on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook — I’m sure I’m missing a few, right? — almost constantly,” Britt said. 

Britt continued to stress the adverse side effects of social media usage among adolescents, citing United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in saying that “adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media double the risks of anxiety and depression than those who do not.”

“Our teenagers aren’t on social media for three hours a day. On average, they’re on social media around five hours a day,” Britt said.

“Earlier this summer, the Surgeon General called for the creation of a warning label on social media, and 42 out of 50 states’ attorneys general, including Alabama’s own Steve Marshall and Pennsylvania’s Michelle Henry, backed this proposal,” Britt continued. “Senator Fetterman and I are on the same page about this. There should be a warning label on social media, and that is why today we have introduced the ‘Stop the Scroll’ Act.”

Britt then expanded on the bill’s specifics, describing how these warning labels would have users acknowledge the potential adverse effects of social media before proceeding to use them. These labels would also include “a way to quickly access mental health resources, which in our mind would look like a link to 988, the suicide and crisis lifeline or other resources, putting them quickly at the fingertips of those who need them most,” according to Britt. She then explained that the particular language of the label would be dictated by the Surgeon General. 

Britt also emphasized that although the bill is not a complete solution to the adverse mental health effects brought on by social media, it is — in her opinion — still a step in the right direction. “Now, warning labels won’t prevent the American people from using the app, just like warnings on tobacco or alcohol don’t stop someone from purchasing them,” Britt said. “The warning is a caution so that consumers have their eyes open to the potential dangers ahead. It empowers them to make informed decisions.”

“The Stop the Scroll Act isn’t a cure, it’s a caution that will hopefully help promote healthier social media usage while providing those in crisis with the resources they need to get help,” Britt said in her closing remarks. “It’s an important step forward in creating a safer digital age for all Americans.”

Following the bill’s introduction, Britt fielded questions from the press.

When asked about the importance of working across the aisle with Sen. Fetterman on the bill, Britt said, “this is something that, you know, Senator Fetterman has been very open about and I have been very open about as we have entered the Senate. I mean, whether it’s our own life experiences and what we’ve seen or, very importantly, it’s that of parenting in this digital age. Not only talking with our kids but talking with our friends about different situations that are occurring with their children and how to handle them.”

“In June, when the Surgeon General said ‘we need a warning label,’ Senator Fetterman and I said ‘absolutely.’ And this way it doesn’t prevent people from using it but allows them to enter into their usage with eyes wide open and also allows people to get the help that they may need right there,” Britt continued. “So Senator Fetterman and I talked about it, we thought it important to be bipartisan.”

Britt stressed that this is an issue she feels passionately about and that it is one she is consistently trying to get bipartisan support on. “Look, I have entered into a number of bipartisan pieces of legislation whether it’s social media or whether it’s actually youth mental health, something I’ve been working on with Amy Klobuchar researching and trying to get to the bottom of what’s happening to our young people,” Britt said. “We’re proud that it’s bipartisan… we’re hopeful we’ll continue to build that bipartisan group, a coalition that can actually effect change and can put the safety and wellbeing of the next generation before the profits of big tech companies.”

APR then asked Britt if she would support expanding public health care options as a way to improve access to mental health treatment for Americans and adolescents in particular.

“Look, I’m happy to take a look at anything that can help us address this crisis in a meaningful way, looking at root causes and figuring out a pathway forward,” Britt replied. “I want to be in the room.”

“An example of what you’re saying where I’ve actually already done that is working with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand,” Britt explained. “When we had the opportunity to visit troops overseas one of the things that was brought to our attention was that our servicemen and women whose children were actually participating in mental healthcare and had a mental healthcare provider back in the States, when they traveled overseas there was an impediment to continuing to be able to visit with that professional via telehealth.”

“And so we actually added an amendment to the NDAA last year to get to the bottom of it, to figure out what was happening… so that we could make sure that our servicemen and women’s children actually had access to the mental healthcare that they needed when their family was so courageously serving overseas,” she continued. “So if there are things that we can be doing, if there are things that need to be done, I certainly am willing to be in the room and have those conversations because where we are right now… is not sustainable.”

The Senator also expressed optimism that the bill will receive greater bipartisan support and ultimately pass the Senate. “I think my colleagues have become aware that we have to do something and doing nothing is not an option so I am hopeful… they’ve seen the positive effects that [adding warning labels] has had on things like tobacco.”

As for what tech companies will think of the bill, Britt said, “I don’t expect them to be huge fans because they don’t want any impediment to their bottom line. I mean you saw the whistleblower that came out from Facebook that mentioned that many times they knew what was happening to users but they knew what was good for their bottom line, and time and time again they chose their bottom line.”

“If Big Tech has the best interest of its users in mind, I think a proper warning about the effects is something that they should be on board with, but I unfortunately don’t expect them to put people over profits, but I for one am going to fight for the people,” Britt added.

As for how Britt handles social media use amongst her own children, she explained that “every parent approaches [the matter] differently” and that she doesn’t think “any judgment should be put forth” with how parents decide to navigate the challenges of raising children in the digital age. Britt herself explained that her and her husband “consistently have those conversations and at a time where we feel it’s appropriate, then we will allow them to engage.”

“Parenting is hard in general, but you add these challenges and it becomes even more complex, and I think we are all doing the very best that we can in raising our kids,” Britt elaborated. “And I just feel an obligation that other parents need this information, too, so that we can all try to make better decisions and put our kids in a better spot, have a healthier country, and have a more vibrant country [where] people are able to use social media but use it within a way that they’re able to keep it as a positive experience for themselves.”

Britt is also a sponsor of the “Kids Off Social Media Act,” a bill introduced earlier this year which in-part proposes that children under the age of 13 be barred from accessing social media. However, the Stop the Scroll Act itself does not include any such age restriction associated with social media usage.

For now, the Stop the Scroll Act will be assigned to a committee for review before it possibly reaches the Senate floor for a vote.