More than two-thirds of teachers worry artificial intelligence will adversely impact student mental health
Washington (June 20, 2024) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security and member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee today introduced the Social Media and AI Resilience Toolkits (SMART) in Schools Act,which instructs the Department of Education and the federal Department of Health and Human Services to develop resource toolkits on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and social media on student mental health. These toolkits would be disseminated to students, parents and caregivers, health care providers, educators, and school administrators. Young people in the United States are facing a youth mental health crisis fueled, in part, by Big Tech. More than two-thirds of teachers worry the proliferation of artificial intelligence will adversely impact their students’ mental health.
“Big Tech has caused big problems for youth mental health, and communities are asking for help planning for the impacts that artificial intelligence has the potential to unleash,” said Senator Markey.“ The SMART in Schools Act would give students, parents, teachers and other community members the resources to understand and respond to the increasing role that tech is playing in the lives of young people. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that we keep young people protected online.”
“Artificial intelligence, social media and other technologies are increasingly a way of life for young people. Educators, lawmakers and parents must make it a priority to insist upon appropriate, enforceable guardrails to ensure the safety and well-being of our country’s young people when they use these tools. Sen. Markey’s bill does this by addressing both the health and academic needs of students as they navigate new and current technologies, as well as ensuring that educators and parents have the appropriate training to help kids stay safe in the digital age,” said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers.
“The increasing development and deployment of new technologies including those built with artificial intelligence are having increasing impacts on the mental health of our young people. It is imperative that we teach our young people how to understand and interact with these tools in a way that mitigates the harmful effects while maintaining their ability to benefit,” said Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD., CEO of the American Psychological Association. “Psychological science has demonstrated the value of digital literacy tools, which we included as a recommendation in our own health advisory on social media use in adolescence. We urge Congress to encourage the development and dissemination of these essential tools and look forward to helping to pass this bill.”
This legislation is endorsed by the American Psychological Association, Active Minds, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and AASA - the School Superintendents Association.
As author of the landmark 1998 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, Senator Markey has long championed protections for children and teens online. In May 2023, Senators Markey and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) reintroduced the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), legislation that would update online data privacy rules for the 21st century to ensure children and teenagers are protected online. In July 2023, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee unanimously passed COPPA 2.0.
In January 2023, Senator Markey led bipartisan colleagues in celebrating a passage of the Children and Media Research Advancement (CAMRA) Act that they secured in the Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus package. The CAMRA Act funds research about technology and media’s effects on infants, children and adolescents in core areas of cognitive, physical and socio-emotional development.
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