By Macy Meinhardt, Voice & Viewpoint Staff Writer
District 1 Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer’s proposal to sue social media companies for their role in the youth mental health crisis failed to pass during the San Diego Board of Supervisors meeting on July 15 due to a split vote between Democratic and Republican Board leaders.
“It is important to do everything we can to protect the health and well-being of children, but my colleagues chose to ignore the health impacts of social media to our youth,” said Supervisor Lawon-Remer on the proposal rejection.
Since 2010, mental health and psychological well-being among teens has deteriorated, Supervisor Lawson-Remer’s proposal states. Lawson-Remer argues that the increased popularity of social media among teens coincides with the psychological impacts on youth mental health today. While research shows a link between mental health and social media usage, Supervisors Jim Desmond and Joel Anderson are not convinced litigation is the right approach.
“Where does government end and parenting start? I appreciate the intent but I disagree with the approach,” said District 5 Supervisor Desmond.
In addition to overarching reports from the U.S. Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association on the connection between mental health and social media, emerging research also shows the unique impact it creates for young Black minds, with instances such as online racial discrimination and exposure linked to higher rates of stress and suicidal ideation among Black teens.
Black adolescents have an average of 5 racially discriminatory experiences daily, mostly occurring online, a JAMA Psychiatry report finds. Codified in anonymity, the internet easily fosters spaces for harassment and hate speech to thrive and potentially reach large audiences. The study further revealed that Black teens with repeated exposure to racist posts internalize the content as threats, resulting in trauma-like symptoms and emotional distress.
“It’s not just the physical streets. Black folks now have to fight the civil rights fight on the virtual streets, in those algorithmic streets, in the internet streets,” said W. Kamau Bell in a CNN report on online racism. Bell serves as the host of the television program, United Shades of America.
Black youth suicides, linked to racial discrimination, have skyrocketed in the last two decades. A 2023 report from John Hopkins Bloomberg of Health found that from 2007 to 2020, the suicide rate in Black children and teens increased by 144%–the fastest increase compared to other racial and ethnic groups.
According to the San Diego County Health and Human services, youth ages 15 to 24 years old have the highest rate of depression compared to any other age group in the county.
Another area Supervisor Lawson-Remer focused on in her proposal was the addictive nature of social media algorithms. “During this tender stage of development, youth are now exposed daily to strategically designed social media algorithms and features that capitalize on their vulnerabilities and drive engagement,” the proposal states.
Reports such as “When Racial Violence Goes Viral” cite instances of widespread algorithmic harms; such as the endless video loops of George Floyd and Sandra Bland dying on social media platforms.
“I, like many other people, accidentally came across these gruesome videos of Black people dead and dying because social media platforms are set to autoplay popular video content without censorship or content warning,” Dr. Tiera Tanksley, Assistant Professor of Education and Critical Race Technology Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder wrote.
“For weeks on end, my social media timelines were rife with the gruesome images, and to make matters worse, the commentary that followed often included racial slurs, insensitive jokes, and accusations that they deserved to die,” Dr. Tanksley states.
Supervisor Lawson-Remer argues that the adolescent brain has not physically developed enough to appropriately regulate emotional responses to such stimuli.
The proposal called for the county to “add its voice” to current legal action to hold media companies accountable for prioritizing profits over the safety and wellness of minors on its platform.
Despite the evidence, board members debated over approach, and whether or not social media was the one thing responsible for teen mental health. District 2 Supervisor Anderson countered that cannabis use among teens is just as, if not more, damaging and harmful than social media on teens.
“I have seen reports of similar mental health related issues with the increase of availability of marijuana,” said Supervisor Anderson.“There are far greater emergency room visits based on marijuana than based on social media.”
Meanwhile, Supervisor Desmond, believes that the county should be instead focused on programs to educate and raise awareness on the harms of social media.
“I do not think it is the county’s rule to regulate big national companies, I believe kids and parents need to be educated on the risks and harms of mental health issues, rather than going straight to a lawsuit,” said Desmond.
In a statement released after the failed vote, Supervisor Lawson-Remer maintains that she will bring back this item for board consideration in August.
