Sullivan Legislation to Increase Mental Health Awareness and Resources on Social Media Passes Senate

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) celebrated the unanimous Senate passage of theAdvancing Digital Support (ADS) for Mental Health Services Act, legislation to bring greater transparency to social media advertising and encourage online platforms to promote mental health resources and community engagement. TheADS for Mental Health Actincreases transparency around social media advertising by requiring platforms to report on their targeted ads and encouraging them to dedicate a portion of advertising to mental health public service announcements and community events, moving online platforms closer to the long-standing public-interest standards applied to television and radio broadcasters. The bill will now be voted on in the House.
The legislation responds to alarming findings highlighted by previous U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in a 2021 advisory on youth mental health, citing a 2019 study showing that one in three high school students—and half of all female students—reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, a 40 percent increase since 2009. While many factors contribute to this troubling trend, the surgeon general pointed to social media as a significant driver, calling for stronger accountability, transparency, and action against bad actors, while recognizing the many positive ways online platforms connect people and communities. Senator Sullivan highlighted these findings in amental health roundtableacross Alaska with General Murthy in 2023.
“Since becoming senator, I’ve warned that the outsized role social media plays in the lives of our kids would be one of the biggest battles we face in this youth mental health crisis,”Senator Sullivan said.“It’s impossible to ignore the fact that something is deeply wrong when a whole generation can’t seem to look up from their phones, and when youth suicide rates have risen alarmingly alongside the growth of social media. I’m committed to fighting the vise grip these platforms have on our children. This legislation encourages transparency regarding the targeted ads online platforms show their viewers, and encourages platforms to dedicate a portion of those ads to highlight locally available mental health resources and community events that can reduce social isolation. We can have the strongest economy and the best quality of life in the world, but none of that means anything if our kids are depressed, isolated, or considering ending their lives because of what they’re consuming online.”
Below is a timeline of Sen. Sullivan’s work on Big Tech accountability and mental health:
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