Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is spearheading a demand for legislative action against the unchecked influence of social media on young minds. Joined by a bipartisan gathering of 42 attorneys general, Raoul seeks a mandate requiring social media giants to display U.S. surgeon general warnings on their platforms. Highlighting the adverse psychological effects such as depression, anxiety, and the risk of suicide among children and teens, they argue that these warnings are a critical step needed to counteract the platforms' intentionally addictive designs.
In a letter obtained by Illinois Attorney General's website, Raoul and the coalition present their concern, stating, "Our children should be aware that social media platforms utilize features to make their platforms more addictive to young people." These features, they argue, not only disrupt healthy living patterns but play a role in exacerbating mental health issues such as " cyberbullying and contribute to depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia and thoughts of self-harm." According to their letter, it's not just a question of screen time; it's the very essence of algorithms—endlessly curating content that keeps kids glued to screens and away from the respite of life beyond the digital.
The call for warnings on social media comes as the latest in a series of actions by Raoul to hold these platforms accountable. Just last year, he joined a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, for practices deemed harmful to children. Additionally, Raoul led a bipartisan initiative urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to beef up rules for technology companies under the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). While these steps have exemplified a dedication to protecting our youth, Raoul and his colleagues earnestly believe that Congress needs to step in for real change to be realized.
The list of states joining the push is impressive as it sweeps across the continent, joining Raoul in his letter are attorneys general from Alabama to Wyoming—a true coalition acknowledging the gravity of the issue at hand. They collectively voice dissatisfaction with self-regulation, going as far as to say, "social media platforms have demonstrated an unwillingness to fix the problem on their own."
