Jefferson Reporter

U.S. Senators Katie Britt and John Fetterman have introduced the Stop the Scroll Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at creating a mental health warning label requirement for social media platforms. This legislation seeks to ensure users, particularly adolescents, are informed about the potential mental health risks of social media usage and have access to related resources.

"Every child deserves the chance to live their own personal American Dream, but our nation’s youth mental health crisis is getting in the way for far too many," said Senator Britt. "With the Stop the Scroll Act, Senator Fetterman and I are following through on the Surgeon General’s call to create a warning label for social media platforms, but we’re going further by requiring the warning label to also point users to mental health resources. Equipped with the knowledge of the dangers and empowered with the resources to address it, this simple solution will help parents and kids thrive."

Senator Fetterman added, "As a Senator, but more importantly, as a dad to three young kids, I feel a duty to address how dangerous unchecked social media can be for our mental health. The evidence is right in front of us—addiction, anxiety, depression, and suicide are on the rise, and it’s directly tied to these platforms. Senator Britt and I are introducing the Stop the Scroll Act to make sure our laws catch up with the reality we are living in. This bill will help kids and parents alike take control of their social media use, not the other way around."

The legislation follows recent recommendations from Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy for placing warning labels on social media platforms. The proposed act mandates that such labels be developed by Dr. Murthy's office and implemented by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). These warnings would appear as pop-up boxes when users open social media apps or websites. Users would need to acknowledge these warnings before proceeding.

In addition to this initiative, Senator Britt has been active in various efforts related to social media safety since taking office. She has co-sponsored several bills including:

- The Children and Teen’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

- The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)

- The Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act

These pieces of legislation aim to expand protections for children online while holding platforms accountable.

Furthermore, alongside Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), she introduced the Kids Off Social Media Act which aims at preventing children under 13 from creating social media accounts among other provisions.

Senator Britt also collaborated with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) on introducing the Youth Mental Health Research Act designed to guide long-term mental health care efforts through national research initiatives.

The full text of the Stop the Scroll Act can be viewed online.

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