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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The federal government has an obligation to
3protect the State's children from online bad actors; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Too often, minors suffer grave consequences from
5deceptive marketing practices found on social media; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Social media algorithms have been revealed to
7prioritize prolonged engagement and attention in order to
8generate profits; and
 
9    WHEREAS, This prioritization often encourages users to
10engage in harmful, addictive, controversial, and negative
11content; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Research has revealed that excessive social media
13use can result in negative effects on mental health, including
14increased rates of depression, anxiety, and loneliness; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Children or minors are most susceptible to these
16negative effects due to their limited life experiences and
17developing brains; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Children may not fully understand the
19consequences of their interactions with social media

 

 

SR0249- 2 -LRB103 32238 ECR 61446 r

1platforms, and companies should not be enabled to take
2advantage of a child's lack of understanding for potential
3profit; and
 
4    WHEREAS, The federal government has a duty to ensure that
5minors are protected from deceptive and harmful algorithms
6that are deliberately designed to incite negative reactions
7and build addictive behavior; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The federal government has ample historical legal
9precedent that has established it is a company's
10responsibility to protect children from known deceptive and
11harmful advertising; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Social media companies should be held to the same
13standard as other companies regarding the utilization of
14harmful advertising and tactics that target minors; therefore,
15be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
17ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the federal
18government to uphold its duty to create regulations that
19promote the well-being of minors and to protect them from
20negative and harmful social media algorithms.