New public database tracks state laws regulating youth social media

Samantha Vigil, the database project lead and Ph.D. candidate in communication, UC DavisAdolescent mental health and well-being is such an important outcome. This repository provides a centralized source of regulations, both attempted and passed, to inform future legislation."

Supporting action on social media risks

"We hope that it helps politicians and policymakers in state governments across the United States to be aware of what other states are doing to help shape our own local and state laws," Cingel said.

The social media regulation landscape

Cingel said that research has implicated social media in poor mental health among U.S. children and teens, driven in part by platform features such as infinite scrolling and content-recommending algorithms.

Other countries have already enacted legislation to curb access to social media for minors. In 2024, Australia passed a law banning access to social media for those 16 years and younger. It took effect in December of 2025. This June, the U.K. government announced a similar ban to begin in 2027.

Vigil said that U.S. social media regulation is more fragmented, which is partly why a tracking tool is needed. U.S. lawmakers, she said, are more hesitant to propose outright bans for children and teens. Other advocates seek to increase media literacy so young people can be safer online.

Instead of bans or placing the burden of safety on children and parents, Vigil said the platforms themselves should be designed in a way that makes them safer to use.

"Social media and AI and other technologies are so ingrained in the world that children are growing up in, so to close the door and say you don't get to use this because it's not safe takes away a lot of opportunities and some of the potential benefits," said Vigil.

Source:

University of California - Davis

Journal reference: