California lawmaker seeks to add warning label to social media

SAN FRANCISCO (CN) — Victoria Hinks, the mother of a 16-year-old California girl who killed herself this year, has no doubt that social media played a role in her daughter’s death.

Alexandra, called “Owl,” grew addicted to her social media feeds, Hinks said. The girl who loved animals and cross-country fell down “dark rabbit holes” as she began to compare herself to others online. It isolated her and she became a different person.

“She was hooked,” Hinks said. “She was constantly online. It was like taking a drug away from an addict.”

Hinks spoke Monday in favor of Assembly Bill 56, which would require social media companies to show a warning to users when they first log on and each week afterward. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a supporter of the bill, said the warning would state that the surgeon general advises people of ample indicators showing social media can harm the wellbeing of children and adolescents.

Bonta compared to it warnings found on cigarettes and alcohol, saying it would raise awareness.

“This bill, this warning, isn’t a panacea,” Bonta said. “We know that. But it’s another tool in our toolbox.”

Specific language for the warning doesn’t yet appear in the bill. The Legislature will reconvene on Jan. 6.

Bonta said social media offers many benefits, including access to critical information and the creation of California jobs. However, it can interfere with children’s daily lives, interrupting sleep patterns and leading to attention issues.

“You cannot debate that,” he said. “Our children are suffering.”

The bill was introduced by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, an Orinda Democrat who said social media has turned children’s attention into a commodity. She said the collapse of youth mental health is tied to the rise of social media. A combination of addictive features and toxic content leads to a powerful profit motive for social media companies to hook kids.

Kids know about the harms social media holds but can’t stop using it, Bauer-Kahan added. She also invoked warnings on cigarette boxes, saying that use among teens has dropped.

“We’re hopeful this proposal will do the same,” she added.

Studies on the effects of warning labels offer a mixed bag. One study indicated that pictures on warning labels increase the chance that smokers will quit, though they don’t change people’s attitudes toward the risk of smoking.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, several studies show that warnings with pictures are more effective than those with text only.

“It isn’t the sole answer to the problem, but it is a step in the right direction,” Hinks said.

The rollout for Bauer-Kahan’s bill occurred in a Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco location. Officials called it an apt spot, as the club has physical spaces to promote children’s health while the bill seeks to help their mental wellness.

Jim Steyer — founder of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit seeking to help kids and families by offering good information and education — called Bauer-Kahan’s bill the “tobacco moment” for the country. He anticipates lawmakers in other states will introduce similar bills.

“This is California leading the nation,” Steyer added.

Bauer-Kahan’s office said this is the first time the Assembly member has introduced a bill focused on warning labels for social media. However, it’s not the Legislature’s first foray into regulating social media giants.

A bill passed into law last session requires state agencies to provide a statewide strategy to the Legislature on understanding, communicating and mitigating mental health risks linked to children’s social media use.

Another bill requires certain social media platforms to create a process leading to the designation of verified reporters, someone like a school official, who can report content on social media that promotes or incites harmful outcomes.

A third bill passed into law empowers school districts to make a policy that limits or prohibits students from using social media while at school.

“This could be your story,” Hinks said. “This could be anyone’s kid. It doesn’t discriminate.”