Supervisors Deadlock on Proposal to Take Aim at Social Media Platforms

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors Tuesday deadlocked on advancing a proposal aimed at protecting young people from being victims of the “addictive algorithms” of social media, with the board voting 2-2.

On July 8, Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer announced the proposal, directing the county’s legal team to explore filing and/or joining litigation against social media platforms for “their failure to protect youth mental health,” Lawson-Remer said in a statement at the time.

In addition, the proposal called for a resolution to support the U.S. surgeon general’s effort to put warning labels on social media platforms.

On Tuesday, Lawson-Remer and colleague Monica Montgomery Steppe voted in favor, while their colleagues Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond were opposed.

Chairwoman Nora Vargas was absent from the meeting due to personal reasons, according to her office.

Last week, Lawson-Remer said children “are being harmed by social media. It is affecting their mental and emotional well-being.”

“These platforms have knowingly developed addictive algorithms akin to the opioids manufactured by pharmaceutical companies. I want our county to legally intervene and throw our support behind the U.S. surgeon general’s recommendations,” she added.

Last year, Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy warned that social media are “contributing to our nation’s youth mental health crisis.”

The American Psychological Association followed suit, linking social media use to reduced well-being and mood disorders — chiefly depression and anxiety — among people between the ages of 10 and 25.

The APA reported that U.S. teens spend an average of five hours every day using the seven most popular social media apps, with Instagram, TikTok and YouTube accounting for 87% of their social media time.

According to Lawson-Remer’s office, “Youth are now exposed daily to strategically designed social media algorithms and features that capitalize on their vulnerabilities to drive engagement.”

In a statement after the Tuesday vote, Lawson-Remer said she would bring back the proposal for a board vote in August.

She added that seeking out legal options would allow the county “to hold opportunistic social media companies accountable and push them to change the way they do business.”

During the Tuesday meeting, Lawson-Remer said social media is a tool for sharing information and entertainment, but can be harmful without guardrails.

Citing different studies, Anderson wanted Lawson-Remer’s proposal to include a report on how marijuana use affects young people’s mental health.

Anderson said that, in his district, more young people are impacted by marijuana use than by social media.

He added that, according to the state Department of Health, there were almost 65,000 cannabis-related emergency visits from those aged 15 to 30 in 2022.

Lawson-Remer said that while she appreciated the spirit of Anderson’s request, the core of her proposal involved possible legal options against social media companies. She also told Anderson that his proposal could be discussed at a future meeting.

Desmond said while he understood why Lawson-Remer introduced the proposal, he wasn’t sure a lawsuit was the best way to deal with how social media affects young people.

Instead of more regulation, Desmond proposed an educational program for children and their parents.

“Where does government end and parenting start?” Desmond asked, suggesting that parents can be given tools, such as blocking certain sites on phones or being alerted to a child’s use.

During a public comment period, supervisors heard from two young people and an LGBTQ activist in support of Lawson-Remer’s proposal.

A high school student said that, at first, social media allowed him to stay in touch with his family, but it kept him “disconnected as ever” and capitalized on vulnerabilities.

A woman calling herself “Oliver Twist” said she opposed any social media policy, as government should be limited.

While social media are a problem, she noted that a Metropolitan Transit System poster encouraged youth ridership by asking young people to post pictures on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

City News Service contributed to this article.