U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, paired up with her Senate friend and colleague John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania, to reintroduce legislation to require mental health warning labels on social media platforms.
The Stop the Scroll Act aims to inform social media users of the negative mental health impacts that can come from using the platforms. The labels would also allow individuals to connect with help.
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“Knowing how critical it is to provide help to individuals struggling with the challenges of social media, we also require the warning label to point users to mental health resources,” Britt said in a statement.
“Equipped with the knowledge of the dangers and empowered with the resources to address it, this simple solution will help parents and kids thrive.”
The warning would pop up as soon as a user opened a social media app. An individual would need to acknowledge the mental health warning before proceeding to access the platform. The label would also have to include a way for people to learn about available mental health resources.
The former U.S. surgeon general called on Congress last year to require warning labels on social media, citing the mental health crisis among young people.
Working together
Britt and Fetterman have worked together on multiple bipartisan bills. The duo introduced the Stop the Scroll Act last year.
Fetterman has been open about his own mental health struggles. Britt visited the senator at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in 2023 when he checked himself in for clinical depression.
“As a Senator, but more importantly, as a dad to three young kids, I feel a duty to address how dangerous unchecked social media use can be for our mental health,” Fetterman said in a statement. “I’ve experienced it in my own life, and the evidence is right in front of us – addiction, anxiety, depression and suicide rates are on the rise, and it’s directly linked to these platforms.”
The legislation has been referred to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Alex Angle and originally published by the Alabama Daily News.
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