(Boston Globe- John Hillard) Depression. Anxiety. Addiction. Health officialscaution that social mediause amongyoung people is contributing to growing a mental health crisis. One former surgeon general has called for warnings about social media, like those for cigarettes.
Now, a group of Massachusetts state lawmakers and Attorney General Andrea Campbell have filed bills that would restrict students’ access to smartphones when they’re in school, with the goal of reducing the time they spend scrolling through platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.
Such protections are vital for young people, said Deb Schmill, whose 18-year-old daughter, Becca, died in 2020 from an accidental overdose of drugs laced with fentanyl she acquired through a dealer she met through social media. Her daughter began using drugs after she was allegedly raped by a teen she met through social media, andendured horrific cyberbullying, according to Schmill.
We know that social media is purposely designed to keep our kids on constantly; that is not a mistake,” said Schmill, a Canton resident who established a foundation in her daughter’s memory to support policies that safeguard the well-being of teens and young adults. “And here, we’ve handed them a device that they’re addicted to, and we’re letting them walk around with it all day.”
Lawmakers have filed at least seven bills this term that would curb students’ phone and social media use at school. State Senator John Velis, a Westfield Democrat who drafted one of the bills, said social media “follows you everywhere.”
For young people, Velis said, “I’m just really concerned about the impact that that has.”