New York will require mental health warnings for young social media users

Social media platforms with “addictive” features will be required to display warning labels about the potentially harmful effects on young users’ mental health under a new law.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Friday that the law, which will affect social media giants like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, aims to protect young people from the potential harms of addictive social media ‌features.

"Keeping New Yorkers safe has been my top priority since taking office, and that includes protecting our kids from the potential harms of social media features that encourage excessive use," Hochul said in a statement, according to Newsweek.

“New Yorkers deserve transparency. With the amount of information that can be shared online, it is essential that we prioritize mental health and take the steps necessary to ensure that people are aware of any potential risks."

The law targets platforms with "addictive feeds," auto-play, or infinite scroll, according to Reuters. This means that New York will join other state efforts, like those by California and Minnesota, that have similar social media laws for young users.

Hochul also compared the warnings to labels on other products like tobacco, which clearly show the risks of cancer, or plastic packaging, which inform families about the risk of suffocation for small children.

The law cites research stating that overstimulation caused by social media exposure can be compared to substance use or gambling addictions.

“Research shows that social media exposure overstimulates reward centers, creating pathways comparable to those of an individual experiencing substance use or gambling addictions."

The New York State Attorney General will be able to enforce the new law and seek civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation.

The law will apply to conduct occurring wholly or partially in New York, but it won't cover cases when platforms are accessed by users physically outside the state.

Several studies have linked social media exposure and increased smartphone use by youth to mental health problems. As such, a recent study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Human Development and Capabilities found that young people who had received their first smartphone at age 12 or younger were more likely to report various mental health issues, such as suicidal thoughts, aggression, detachment from reality, poorer emotional regulation, and low self-worth.

However, experts are widely divided on the effects of social media on the mental health of young users. For instance, a study from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health showed that the current evidence base underlying social media policies continues to have serious gaps. Some of the cited issues are the fast pace at which platforms evolve, making it tricky to draw convincing correlations, a wide variation in user experiences, and a shortage of precise data from social media platforms.