Senator Stern’s Bills to Reduce Harm to Kids from Social Media Advance with Bipartisan Support

SACRAMENTO – Democrats and Republicans found common ground in the California State Senate this week on two measures authored by Senator Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles) aimed at reducing harm to children from social media and cyberbullying.

SB 1283 would make clear that school districts across California have the authority to restrict the use of social media on school campuses. While some schools and teachers have taken leadership by developing their own approaches, districts still have no rules of the road, and social media abuse and addiction continues to skyrocket. 

SB 1504 would require social media platforms to respond to reports of cyberbullying in a timely manner, and give victims and their parents and guardians more power to report and seek legal recourse if their pleas for help are ignored. 

Senator Stern, who witnessed Facebook’s inception firsthand as a sophomore at Harvard twenty years ago, warned that California must step in where Congress has not. “The anxious generation is suffering,” he stated, referencing Jonathan Haidt's book documenting the damage caused by social media addiction. “If we don’t step up and empower students, parents, and teachers to push back on Big Tech, the bullying, suicide, depression, and other harms befalling our kids are going to become a dangerous new normal.”

Social media use among young people is nearly universal, with up to 95% of those aged 13-17 using a platform daily, and more than a third reporting near-constant use in 2023. A University of Delaware study found that increased social media use correlates with decreased academic performance.

The LA County Office of Education supports SB 1283, aiming to create a safer learning environment. “By explicitly limiting or prohibiting the use of social media while on school grounds or under school supervision, SB 1283 will help prevent distractions, cyberbullying, and other forms of inappropriate behavior that can negatively impact students' academic performance and well-being.”

At James Lick High School in San Jose, teachers are working to eliminate cell phone distractions during class by encouraging students to store their phones during instructional time. Similarly, the San Ramon Valley Unified School District employs a combination of Social and Emotional Learning curriculum, counselor activities, and parent-student dialogues to teach the necessary social-emotional skills for navigating the digital world .

In their letter of support, the California Teachers Association stated, “CTA believes all LEAs should be allowed to adopt policies and regulations regarding the use and possession of electronic communication devices such as smartphones as well as social media. These policies and regulations must ensure that the use and possession of these devices and social media does not disrupt instructional time or other school programs.”

The US Surgeon General's 2023 Social Media Health Advisory highlights that children and adolescents spending more than three hours a day on social media are twice as likely to face mental health issues, including depression and anxiety. This is concerning given that a 2022 survey found teenagers average 3.5 hours per day on social media.

Despite existing California laws requiring social media companies to provide reporting mechanisms for cyberbullying, these tools are often difficult to access, and reports frequently go unanswered. In South L.A., public middle and high schools are plagued by fights, which are recorded and posted on social media, exacerbating the issue 

Amelie Serang, a freshman at Ruth Asawa High School in San Francisco, experienced harassment on the social gaming app Discord at age 11. “When I reported the users harassing me, I got no response or acknowledgement of my report and I still haven't,” she said. “The risk that not having an accessible, timely, and effective cyberbullying reporting process poses to minors is extreme. If I was in an even worse place than I was when I was told to kill myself, I may have listened to them and done it, and that scares me.”

These bills face significant opposition from the tech industry and social media platforms as they now head to the Assembly, where the first committees will decide their future in the coming weeks.

SB 1283: Senator Stern Speaks on SB 1283 (youtube.com) 

SB 1504: CA Senate Passes SB1504 Cyber Bullying (youtube.com)