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California Approves Anti-Addiction Social Media Regulations

The recent approval of California’s SB 976 could have significant implications for the social media industry. This legislation, championed by State Sen. Nancy Skinner, mandates specific protections aimed at reducing the addictive nature of social media platforms for users under 18.

SB 976 targets features designed to maximize engagement, such as notifications and infinite scrolling, which have been linked to increased rates of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues among young users. By enforcing default settings that limit notifications during school hours and overnight, and by setting accounts to private by default, the bill seeks to curb the excessive use of social media that has become prevalent, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.

For social media businesses, this bill represents both a challenge and an opportunity. On one hand, companies will need to adjust their platforms to comply with the new regulations, which may impact user engagement metrics that are critical to their revenue models. On the other hand, this legislation could drive innovation in creating healthier digital environments, which themselves have become more desirable in recent years.

SB 976 comes off the back of broader regulatory scrutiny on how social media platforms influence the mental health of younger users, and influence mental health as a whole. As the public becomes more aware of mental health concerns relating to social media, staying ahead of these changes will be crucial for even the largest social media platofrm.

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