ASSEMBLY HEALTH COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 167

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MARCH 20, 2023

      The Assembly Health Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Resolution No. 167.

      As amended by the committee, this resolution urges the President and Congress to enact legislation that requires certain protections and parental consent for children 13 years of age and younger to open accounts with and utilize social media websites and other websites used by children.

      The use of social media has become a regular part of the modern communication landscape for individuals to connect and communicate with family, friends, and colleagues and even to access local, national, and global news.  For many teens and children, the use of social media has become as ubiquitous as the use of Internet generally.  The rise of social media use amongst teenagers has sadly coincided with the rise in rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide amongst teenagers, and there is evidence that certain social media platforms have known of the negative mental health impacts of their social media platforms on teenagers and have done very little to address those issues.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments lower the age at which parental consent would be required from 16 years of age and younger to 13 years of age and younger, as to the request for the President and Congress to enact legislation requiring parental consent for children to access social media and other websites.