Informing minors about the dangers of social media is helpful — but it is not the same as protecting them
Shawn Hyland had the opportunity to speak before the New Jersey Assembly Science, Innovation, and Technology Committee on bills addressing the impact of social media on children. We want to share with you what he told the committee — and why these proposals, while positive, do not go far enough to protect our kids in the digital age.
Why This Matters
The online world has fundamentally changed childhood. According to the U.S. Surgeon General:
- Up to 95% of teens ages 13–17 use social media, making exposure nearly universal.
- Children are entering unregulated digital environments long before they have the maturity or judgment to navigate them safely.
- Adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media face double the risk of depression and anxiety.
These are not abstract concerns. They are measurable harms affecting families across New Jersey.
Assembly Science, Innovation, and Technology Committee, 2/19/26
What We Told the Committee
The NJFPC expressed our support for A4013 and A4015, which acknowledges the seriousness of the youth mental‑health crisis and incorporates the Surgeon General’s findings. The bill also notes that in 2024, 42 state attorneys general from Red and Blue States urged the adoption of warning labels on social media platforms.
This is a bipartisan issue because parents from every background are seeing the same thing:
The power imbalance between families and Big Tech is overwhelming.
Big Tech companies have:
- Some of the most sophisticated programmers in the world,
- Algorithms intentionally designed to keep young users hooked,
- And lobbying power that rivals any industry in the nation through groups like TechNet and NetChoice.
Parents cannot be expected to fight this battle alone.
Gratitude — and a Challenge
We thanked the bill sponsors for recognizing the mental health harms associated with social media. We also thanked Governor Sherrill for making online child safety a priority for her administration.
But we also made this clear:
Informing minors about the dangers of social media is helpful — but it is not the same as protecting them.
We warn kids about smoking, vaping, drinking, gambling, and marijuana.
But we also place age restrictions on those activities because warnings alone are not enough.
Where New Jersey Must Go Next
If we are serious about protecting children, New Jersey must join the growing number of states that have enacted:
- Age‑verification laws to download apps,
- Parental‑consent requirements to create social‑media accounts,
- And strict protections against online pornography.
These measures are already law in other states. New Jersey should not do less when it comes to safeguarding our children.
Our organization will continue to advocate for stronger protections, clearer standards, and meaningful accountability for the tech companies that profit from our children’s attention and vulnerability.
Thank you for standing with us as we work to ensure that New Jersey’s children are protected online.
