After a stalemate in July, Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer’s policy and a resolution in support of the U.S. Surgeon General’s call for warning labels on social media platforms passed today  3-2. After the vote, Supervisor Lawson-Remer released the following statement:     

“It is important to do everything we can to protect the social-emotional health and well-being of children,” said Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, a parent and Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “I am extremely concerned that social media companies are deliberately creating algorithms that negatively impact the mental health of teens and youth, in order to maximize their profits. I am proud that today our County took action to hold opportunistic social media companies accountable and push them to change the way they do business.”

Since 2010, nearly every indicator of mental health and psychological well-being has become more negative among teens and young adults. The CDC and San Diego County health data confirm this alarming trend. In 2021, 42% of high school students in the U.S. reported depressive symptoms versus 28% in 2011. Additionally, one in five students currently report they have seriously considered suicide (20%) versus 15% in 2011 and one in ten have attempted suicide (10%) versus 7.8% in 2011. With females and LGBTQ+ students experiencing disproportionate rates of poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. 

Last year, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory warning that social media is contributing to our nation’s youth mental health crisis. The American Psychological Association (APA) has since also issued a health advisory examining the connections between social media use and reduced well-being and rising mood disorders, chiefly depression, and anxiety among youth ages 10 to 25 years old.

Despite the overwhelming data, to date there have been few meaningful changes by the industry and no adoption of federal or state policies curbing the industry’s harm to developing minds. As of June 2024, more than 475 social media lawsuits are pending in multidistrict litigation in the Northern District of California. With today’s item,  the County of San Diego adds its voice to underscore the urgent need to enact new, responsible safety standards on all social media platforms in order to mitigate harm to youth and their mental health.  

The County’s already had success with litigation against gun manufacturers and opioid manufacturers. 

Read the entire policy here.