13-05-2025
Bill to add social media warning labels advances to Texas Senate
The Brief
HB 499 would require social media companies to provide warning labels about the link between minors' usage and significant mental health issues.
The bill passed in the Texas House last week.
The author believes it has enough bipartisan support to pass in the Texas Senate as well.
DALLAS - Last week, the Texas House passed a bill that would require social media platforms to have warning labels as a tool to address the youth mental health crisis.
The bill is now expected to receive support from the more conservative Texas Senate.
What we know
Texas House Bill 499 was filed by State Rep. Mary Gonzalez, a Democrat from the El Paso area.
It seeks to add a label that would appear every time a user opens a social media app, warning them of the association between minors' social media usage and significant mental health issues.
By the numbers
According to Pew Research, 81% of teens use social media, spending an average of 2.5 hours per day or more online.
What they're saying
A nonprofit organization called the Kids Code Coalition is trying to build momentum in the Texas Legislature in support of the bill.
"For too long, social media platforms have been driving our children to distraction and exploiting their emotions for profit," said Julie Scelfo, the founder and executive director of Mothers Against Media Addiction.
Ayaan Moledina, a high school sophomore from Austin who took part in a virtual news conference on Monday, also shared his personal experience with social media scrolling.
"I've been broken before, and I've seen my peers break. And it's tragic," he said. "We see people at parties we weren't invited to, bodies we feel we'll never have, and lives that look happier than ours. And we internalize that.
Moledina said he supports the measure.
"As someone who has battled serious mental health issues, I can say if I had seen those warnings when I was in the darkest places in my life, if I had known other people who were struggling and help was available, I might have asked for help sooner," he said.
What's next
Rep. Gonzalez believes the bill has enough bipartisan support to pass in the Senate.
But time may be a factor. The 89th Texas Legislative session is set to end on June 2.
The Source
FOX 4's Alex Boyer gathered details for this story from a virtual news conference on HB 499 hosted by the Kids Code Coalition, as well as a hearing on the bill and documents from the Texas Legislature.
