Add Art 25 Title 7-A §2596, Pub Health L; add §805, Ed L
Establishes a statewide youth mental health and social media campaign to promote public awareness of the impacts of social media usage on mental health; requires a course of study on social media usage for all students.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A4136
SPONSOR: Wallace 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 OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this legislation is to create a public education campaign
and implement related information in school curriculum to inform the
public, students, and educators about the negative impact social media
use can have on young people's mental health. The campaign and education
materials will promote awareness of existing research and statistics
regarding youth mental health and social media use, increase awareness
of and access to youth mental health resources, and promote healthy
behaviors related to young people's use of social media.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends article 26 of the public health law by adding a new
title 7A requiring the commissioner, in conjunction with the commission-
er of education, the commissioner of mental health, and the director of
the office of information technology services, to establish a statewide
youth mental health and social media campaign. The campaign will
promote public awareness of existing research and statistics regarding
youth mental health and social media use, increase awareness of and
access to youth mental health resources, and promote healthy behaviors
related to young people's use of social media.
Section 2 amends the education law by adding a new section 805 requiring
the regents to provide instruction to students in grades K-12 regarding
social media use behaviors and its impact on mental health. The board of
education or trustees of every school district will provide their teach-
ers will curriculum materials which will vary based on the ages, needs,
and abilities of the students they are intended for. The commissioner,
in conjunction with the commissioner of health, the commissioner of
mental health, and the director of the office of information technology
services will assist with developing materials for instruction.
JUSTIFICATION:
A 2018 report by the Pew Research Center demonstrates that approximately
95% of teens in the U.S. have access to a smartphone, and 45% 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.2 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.3 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.4 Without
proper awareness of the risks of excessive use of social media, young
people may be susceptible to increased risks of mental health struggles.
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. A recent report by the NYS Attorney
General details how the Buffalo Shooter, who murdered 10 Black people
and injured 3 others in a Tops, was deeply influenced by content on
social media platforms that perpetuated white supremacy and antisemi-
tism. There are many factors that need to be addressed regarding racist
acts of violence such as the horrific one in Buffalo on May 14, 2022;
however, parents and educators can play an important role in combatting
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.5
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.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first July next succeeding the date on
which it shall become a law.
(1) Teens, Social Media and Technology 2018, Pew Research Center, last
modified May 31, 2018,
htops://www.pewresearch.orgjinternet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-techn
ology-2018/. (2) Teen Social Media use may Increase Risk of Mental
Health Problems, Johns Hopkins University, last modified September 11,
2019, https://hub.jhu.edu/2019/09/11/social-media-teen-mentalhealth/.
(3) CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Center for Disease Control and
Prevention, last modified in 2019,
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/dataiyTbs/pdl/YRBSDataSummaryTrendsRepo
rt2019-508.pdf. (4) Teens and Social Media Use, Mayo Clinic, last modi-
fied February 26, 2022, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-
lifestyle/tween-and-teen-healthlin-de
pthiteens-and-social-media-use/art-20474437 :-:textSocial%20media%20harms
&text=Another%202019%20stUdy%20of%20more,and%20delDression%
20or%20anxiety%20symptoms. (5)Investigative Report on the role of
online platforms in the tragic mass shooting in Buffalo on May 14, 2022,
October 18, 2022,
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/buffaloshootingonlineplatformsrepo
rt.pdf.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4136
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 10, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WALLACE -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Education
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
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Article 25 of the public health law is amended by adding a
2 new title 7-A to read as follows:
3 TITLE VII-A
4 SOCIAL MEDIA
5 Section 2596. Statewide youth mental health and social media campaign.
6 § 2596. Statewide youth mental health and social media campaign. 1.
7 The commissioner, in conjunction with the commissioner of education, the
8 commissioner of mental health, and the director of the office of infor-
9 mation technology services, shall establish a statewide youth mental
10 health and social media campaign to promote public awareness of the
11 impacts of social media usage on mental health. Such program shall be
12 directed at children and young adults, their parents, and educators.
13 2. Such program shall include, but not be limited to:
14 a. educating people on the negative impacts social media can have on
15 young people's mental health;
16 b. promoting public awareness of existing research and statistics
17 regarding youth mental health and social media use;
18 c. educating people on techniques to reduce feelings of isolation and
19 anxiety, increase sleep quality, and reduce the effects on mental health
20 caused by cyberbullying;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06190-01-3
A. 4136 2
1 d. promoting healthy behaviors related to young people's use of social
2 media;
3 e. increasing awareness of and access to youth mental health
4 resources; and
5 f. promoting alternative methods of self-expression.
6 3. On or before July first of each year, the commissioner, in conjunc-
7 tion with the commissioner of education, the commissioner of mental
8 health, and the director of the office of information technology
9 services, shall submit a report to the governor, the speaker of the
10 assembly, and the temporary president of the senate on the effectiveness
11 of the statewide youth mental health and social media campaign and
12 recommendations on changes which should be made to any laws, rules, or
13 regulations relating thereto.
14 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 805 to read
15 as follows:
16 § 805. Courses of study on social media usage. 1. The regents shall
17 ensure that the course of instruction in grades kindergarten through
18 twelve includes a component on social media usage. Such component shall
19 instruct students on:
20 (a) the negative impacts social media can have on mental health;
21 (b) research and statistics regarding youth mental health and social
22 media use;
23 (c) techniques to reduce feelings of isolation and anxiety, increase
24 sleep quality, and reduce the effects on mental health caused by cyber-
25 bullying;
26 (d) healthy social media use behaviors;
27 (e) mental health resources available to students; and
28 (f) methods of self-expression other than social media.
29 2. The commissioner, in conjunction with the commissioner of health,
30 the commissioner of mental health, and the director of the office of
31 information technology services, shall provide technical assistance to
32 assist in the development of curricula for such courses of study which
33 shall be age appropriate and developed according to the needs and abili-
34 ties of pupils at successive grade levels.
35 3. The board of education or trustees of every school district shall
36 provide appropriate training and curriculum materials for the regular
37 teachers who provide such instruction.
38 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
39 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
40 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
41 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
42 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
