What Do California Voters Think?
84%
Believe the internet is unsafe for children
82%
Agree that lawmakers need to require platforms to do more to protect children online
71%
Believe that social media platforms are unsafe for children
More Information
...California shouldn’t wait for Washington to act. As the home of Silicon Valley, the state that has brought life-altering technologies to the world has an obligation to help remedy their pitfalls. There’s too much at stake to allow Congress to drag its feet.
Featured News
“I feel bad when I use Instagram, and yet I can’t stop.”
What the Research Shows
Every 39 Seconds
TikTok recommended videos about body image and mental health to teens.
66%
of teen girls on Instagram experience negative social comparisons
1 in 5
teens say that Instagram makes them feel worse about themselves
77% of Teen Drug Deaths
Caused by Fentanyl in 2021
WHY ENDING SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION IS URGENT IN TWO CHARTS
August 11, 2022
CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE KILLS ASSEMBLY BILL 2408 WITHOUT PUBLIC VOTE
In 2022, California Assembly Bill 2408 was introduced by Assemblymembers Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) and Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) to impose a clear duty on social media platforms not to use techniques that addict children and to make platforms liable for penalties and damages when social media addiction harms children, especially adolescent girls. The bi-partisan, first-in-the-nation state legislation would have worked to discourage, through financial accountability, social media companies from manipulating their inventions to be addictive and harmful to kids. Despite overwhelming support in the Assembly, the bill died in the Senate Appropriations Committee without a public vote.