Landmark Agreement Sets New Standard for Youth Mental Health Protections on Social Media

A landmark agreement between the states and Meta is being hailed as a pivotal moment for youth mental health, offering new protections for teens and expanded tools for parents. The agreement, announced this week, addresses growing concerns about the impact of social media on young people, who face heightened academic pressure, stress, and the challenges of growing up in an increasingly online world.

The safeguards included in the agreement represent key components of a comprehensive approach to youth wellbeing. Time limits will help ensure that young people are not overexposed to social media, encouraging them to spend more time on activities like after-school sports, clubs, and other extracurriculars. Prohibiting message alerts during school hours and overnight will help kids maintain focus in the classroom and protect their uninterrupted sleep. Teenagers and parents will also have the option to turn off autoplay and algorithmic recommendations in teens' feeds, and likes will automatically be hidden, which will help reduce anxiety. Taken together, these changes are expected to make a real difference in broader efforts to protect kids online.

Social media usage among teens is widespread, according to the Pew Research Center: 92 percent of teens use YouTube, 68 percent use TikTok, 63 percent use Instagram, and 31 percent use Facebook. Twenty-one percent report using TikTok almost constantly, and 17 percent say the same about YouTube. This usage spans multiple platforms, including Discord, Reddit, Roblox, and Snapchat, highlighting the need for industry-wide safeguards.

While the agreement between the states and Meta is a meaningful step forward, it requires other platforms to join to prevent kids from migrating to apps with fewer protections. The Coalition to Empower our Future is calling on all social media platforms where young people spend time to adopt similar safeguards. The coalition's latest survey found that more than eight-in-ten voters and nearly nine-in-ten parents agree that young people should be taught how to use emerging technologies safely and responsibly. There is broad support for solutions to increase digital literacy, including online safety lessons for students (84 percent), digital wellness guides for parents (85 percent), and media literacy training programs for teachers (87 percent).

This agreement opens the door to expanding the adoption of important safeguards across social media, but there is still much more work to be done to meet the youth mental health challenge. That includes investing in mental healthcare, normalizing conversations about mental health, teaching digital literacy in the classroom, increasing opportunities for after-school programs, and cultivating third spaces where young people can build connections. As Glen Weiner, Executive Director of the Coalition to Empower our Future, emphasizes, protecting kids and helping them thrive in the modern world is the highest priority, and building on this momentum is essential.