As the 88th Legislative Session nears its close, Texas lawmakers gathered for what could be the final committee hearing to discuss the growing concerns surrounding the impact of social media on children’s physical and mental health.
The Joint Committee to Study the Effects of Media on Minors, led by Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) and Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco), convened to shine a spotlight on the issue and bring much-needed attention to the harms social media may be causing Texas youth. Despite the urgency of the matter, representatives from major social media companies, including X, Meta, Snap, and TikTok, were noticeably absent from the hearing.
Rep. Patterson opened the discussion by reminding the committee of a similar situation in the aftermath of the tragic Uvalde shooting. He noted that despite requests for testimony, social media platforms declined to appear, opting instead to send a tech lobby group, TechNet, to present generic, repeat testimony.
“We’ve seen this before,” Patterson said. “These platforms refuse to directly address the harm they cause, and we’re left hearing the same vague responses from the same lobbyists.”
Patterson went on to highlight troubling studies that demonstrate the detrimental effects of social media use among minors, including an increase in self-harm, body dysmorphia, pornography addiction, aggression, and rising suicide rates among youth. “These platforms continue to target minors, engage with them, and ultimately harm Texas kids,” he argued. Patterson has already filed a bill for the upcoming legislative session that seeks to prohibit anyone under 18 from using social media platforms.
The committee heard from several expert witnesses who provided testimony on the adverse effects of social media. Lindy McGee, a pediatrician in Houston and representative of the Texas Medical Association and Texas Pediatric Society, warned of the addictive nature of social media. She explained that teenage brains are particularly vulnerable to addiction, and although social media has its benefits, such as promoting communication and creativity, it remains a highly addictive force.
"We restrict other addictive substances like tobacco, alcohol, and gambling because we know teenagers are especially vulnerable," McGee said. “What we can do is make social media less addictive and safer, particularly for minors."
Dr. Robert Epstein, a researcher, echoed these concerns, describing social media as "highly addictive" and calling out the collaboration between software and behavioral engineers to design content that keeps young people engaged at all costs.
“Our research has uncovered hundreds of millions of instances of harmful content that targets children,” Epstein said. “This content not only impacts their mental health but also has the potential to influence larger societal outcomes, including election results.”
Joshua Broom, an author and pastor, shared a deeply personal story of his own exposure to pornography at 13, leading him down a path to the adult film industry. He made a case for considering pornography as a public health crisis, citing its link to sex trafficking, pedophilia, and the rising rates of anxiety and stress among youth.
“I’ve seen firsthand how destructive this is,” Broom said. “Kids are being exposed to violent pornography, and it’s fueling a culture of abuse and anxiety.”
Diasha Wiggins, a former foster child and current youth peer counselor, brought attention to the disturbing rise in sexual violence among children, linking it to the constant exposure minors face to violent pornography on social media.
Wiggins stressed, “The constant exposure to pornography has led to kids committing sexual violence against one another. We need to protect our children from this harm.”
Social media has been a key focus for Texas legislators in recent years. Last year, the Texas Legislature passed the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act, which aims to protect minors from harmful digital content by requiring parental consent for access to digital service providers and implementing more robust privacy controls. Although a portion of the law was blocked from enforcement, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has used it to file lawsuits against platforms like TikTok.
The state’s efforts to regulate social media were also impacted by the U.S. Supreme Court’s review of the case NetChoice v. Paxton, which arose after the passage of House Bill 20 in 2021. The legislation sought greater transparency from social media platforms and prohibited viewpoint-based censorship. The Court ultimately ruled that the law could not be enacted, sending it back for further review by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Despite the legal hurdles, Texas legislators remain committed to protecting children from the potential harms of social media, signaling that the fight for stricter regulations is far from over. With mounting concerns over the negative impacts on mental health and well-being, the state’s approach to tackling the issue may shape the future of social media policy nationwide.
