NYC becomes first city to label social media ‘environmental toxin’

New York City is now the first major city to label social media an “environmental toxin,” as declared by the New York City Department of Health and Human Services and Mental Hygiene on Wednesday, Jan. 24. Mayor Eric Adams, D, granted Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan the authority to issue the public health emergency during his third State of the City address.

“Companies like TikTok, YouTube, Facebook [sic], are fueling the mental health crisis by designing their platforms with addictive and dangerous features,” Adams said. “We cannot stand by and let Big Tech monetize our children’s privacy and jeopardize their mental health.

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The public health advisory urges parents and caregivers to prevent kids from obtaining a smartphone or social media access until at least the age of 14. The advisory also asks health care providers to discuss social media with young patients and parents and to help develop social media usage plans for families.

Adams is also asking lawmakers nationwide to take action on legislation that protects children from the potential harms of social media.

While details are limited on how social media companies will be held accountable by New York City, the mayor did liken the declaration to another historic moment.

“We are the first city in America to take this step and call out the dangers of social media like this,” Adams said. “Just as the surgeon general did with tobacco and guns, we’re treating social media like other public health hazards, and it must stop.”

Adams vowed more information about his efforts would be released at a later date.

Studies have shown increases in cases of depression and suicide among teens adolescents with experts pointing to a rise in social media use as part of the issue.

A recent Pew Research poll found that most teens report high usage of social media with some reporting they use it “almost constantly.”

The University of Utah Health said that research shows young adults who use social media are three times more likely to suffer from depression.

The information obtained by the University of Utah Health cites the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, which shows the number of suicides among 15-to-24-year-olds rose 87% over the past 20 years.

While a direct connection between the rise in suicides and the use of social media has not been confirmed, the information published by the University of Utah Health does assert that social media has “negative consequences for our mental health.”