PENNSYLVANIA, January 24 - accelerate offline violence.

(4) Rates of suicide and self-harm among American

teenagers have grown dramatically in recent years. The

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that,

in 2021, three in five girls felt persistently sad and

hopeless, while more than one in four girls reported

seriously considering attempting suicide. These rates have

increased significantly since 2011.

(5) Federal and state policymakers are beginning to

recognize the risks that social media use places on American

youth. A number of recent policy proposals provide parents

and guardians of teenagers with greater oversight over their

children's social media use.

(6) In May 2023, the United States Surgeon General

released a health advisory finding that "more research is

needed to fully understand the impact of social media;

however, the current body of evidence indicates that while

social media may have benefits for some children and

adolescents, there are ample indicators that social media can

also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and

well-being of children and adolescents." The advisory

recommends a range of policies to consider, including

"policies that further limit access - in ways that minimize

the risk of harm - to social media for all children,

including strengthening and enforcing age minimums."

(7) In addition to empowering parents and guardians to

protect children against these risks, policymakers are

establishing mechanisms to hold social media companies

accountable for harms to children and youth.

(8) Greater oversight of social media platforms will

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