On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Katie Britt said there is a growing mental health crisis in America. Britt’s comments were made during a recent hearing of the Subcommittee for Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies of the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
In the hearing, Sen. Britt questioned the top leadership from the National Institute of Health (NIH) about the staggering, rising rates of depression and suicide among America’s teenagers.
“When you look at what is happening, it is clear that NIH has also identified this crisis as being one that is plaguing communities across this great nation,” Britt said. “The White House in 2023, the Mental Health Research Priorities, those even showed they speak to digital platforms in terms of their effectiveness to treat mental and behavioral health outcomes. However, there are plenty of NIH studies that show how social media and screen time likely have a negative effect on mental health, particularly youth mental health.”
“Now let me tell you something, as a Mama of a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old, this is something that is particularly important to me,” Britt said. “I look at how young people are having to grow up. I know, as someone who went through middle school and high school as a young woman, that it’s tough. I can’t even imagine the additional pressures that they feel, given having a screen at their fingertips all of the time. “
“I think the reports are shocking, and I don’t think the numbers lie,” Britt said. “Last year, 1 in 3 high school girls said that they seriously considered suicide. And actually, one in nine, or almost nine percent – one in ten high school students reported actually attempting suicide in the last twelve months. Folks, I ran for the Senate as a mama on a mission. I said that my children and other people’s children and grandchildren should be able to achieve the American dream. If we do not take hold of what is happening right now with social media and our youth, it is going to be so far gone that we can’t get it back. My question to you is: what is the NIH doing to address the damage of social media and what it is having on our children and our children’s mental health?”
Between 2011 and 2019, the rate of depression more than doubled for American teenagers as social media use increased.
Dr. Joshua Gordon, M.D., is the Director of the National Institutes of Mental Health.
“Not just depression, but suicide deaths have been dramatically increasing in children and children that are younger than those who used to typically die,” said Dr. Gordon. “So, we’re seeing dramatic increases in the rates for pre-teens, which is incredibly disturbing.”
On April 26, Sen. Britt introduced the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act alongside Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) to help empower families and protect children from the harmful impacts of social media.
“It is bipartisan,” Britt stated. “It prohibits children from under the age of 13 from using social media, which is consistent with what social media companies say that they already do. It requires a parent or guardian’s permission for children ages 13 to 17 to create an account, so very simple, and the last thing is it requires social media companies to verify that quickly. It also does not allow them to utilize algorithms against our children. So between 13 and 17, when they are on social media, they would not be able to be targeted by algorithms to push them into what we know are so many deep, dark holes. I am hopeful that this body will actually do something to put parents back in the driver’s seat and to protect our children. I will tell you they are counting on us.”
May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
People or families struggling or in crisis can call or text 988 or go to the website 988lifeline.org for help.
Katie Britt was elected in 2022.
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