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Social media is like an insatiable itch. A time suck. A FOMO land mine. And a lifeline. These were some of the sentiments I heard when chatting up some Twin Cities high schoolers, whose views of social media don't differ vastly from those of adults. Many teens don't need us to tell them about online technology's potential pitfalls, from cyberbullying and predatory messages to disrupted sleep and comparison traps. When I asked 18-year-old Gabby Walz how much social media she consumes, she said, "Too much." About three to four hours of her day are spent on apps like Snapchat and Instagram, which is below the national average of nearly five hours a day. Walz (no relation to the governor) relies on social media to stay in touch with friends and family, or even to find inspiration.
"The danger comes in when you start to compare yourself to other people," said Walz, a senior at Two Rivers High School in Mendota Heights. "It is so subconscious that it affects kids' minds, especially as they're growing. I think that's where it gets dangerous: It affects us without us knowing."
Our understanding of how these platforms affect young people is evolving, but there's still so much we don't know. Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory in 2023 acknowledging the expanding body of research about social media's potential harms to mental health. Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media double their risk of experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to one study. Murthy's report said there was not enough evidence to conclude whether social media was "sufficiently safe for children and adolescents."
That puts much of the onus on parents to help their kids figure it out. And still, many moms and dads feel powerless and on their own.
In Minnesota, Attorney General Keith Ellison's office sued Meta, alleging that the social media giant is harming the mental health of young people. Last year, the office also released a report detailing concerns about the apps, which was recently expanded to include potential effects of artificial intelligence.
State Rep. Zack Stephenson is pushing a bill that would require social media companies to notify users with warning labels. The DFL lawmaker from...