SR0882 LRB103 39723 ECR 70173 r
1		SENATE RESOLUTION
2		WHEREAS, Research demonstrates that social media use has
3		detrimental effects on children and adolescents; often, social
4		media use has been found to exacerbate existing mental health
5		disorders and even cause mental health problems in children,
6		adolescents, and young adults; and
7		WHEREAS, The National Center for Health Statistics found
8		suicide rates among youth aged 10 to 24 in the United States
9		increased by 57% between 2017 and 2018, and early estimates
10		suggest there were tragically more than 6,600 deaths by
11		suicide among the 10 to 24 age group in 2020; and
12		WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
13		(CDC) has reported suicide as the second leading cause of
14		death for people aged 10 to 14 and 20 to 34; and
15		WHEREAS, Since the COVID-19 pandemic, these trends have
16		escalated with emergency room visits for suicide attempts
17		specifically among girls between the ages of 12 and 17
18		increasing by 26% during the summer of 2020 and 50% during the
19		winter of 2021; and
20		WHEREAS, According to the Pew Research Center, most
21		adolescents and young adults use social media, with 35%

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1		reporting they use at least one social media platform almost
2		constantly, 54% saying it is difficult to give up social
3		media, and 36% admitting to spending excessive time on it; and
4		WHEREAS, The 2023 U.S. Surgeon General Advisory found,
5		during crucial periods of adolescent brain development, social
6		media use is predictive of decreases in life satisfaction as
7		well as additional concerns around body image, problems with
8		sleep, and other issues; and
9		WHEREAS, One study found that the users who spend the most
10		time on social media are 1.66 times more likely to be depressed
11		in comparison to those who use it the least; and
12		WHEREAS, Too much time spent on social media apps can lead
13		to an increase in body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, and
14		low self-esteem, and these negative effects are not limited to
15		teenage girls; reports reveal that 46% of all teenagers aged
16		13 to 17 expressed that social media made them feel worse about
17		their bodies; and
18		WHEREAS, Social media users may also fall victim to
19		cyberbullying; those who have experienced cybervictimization
20		were 2.35 times more likely to self-harm, 2.10 times more
21		likely to exhibit suicidal behaviors, 2.57 times more likely
22		to attempt suicide, and 2.15 times more likely to have

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1		suicidal thoughts; and
2		WHEREAS, A recent study from the American Psychological
3		Association found that young adults who reduced their social
4		media screen time by 50% for just a few weeks saw significant
5		improvements in how they viewed their weight and overall
6		appearance; therefore, be it