AMHERST, NY (WKBW) — Governor Kathy Hochul appeared at Williamsville East High School Friday morning to lead an important conversation about social media dangers for our children.
The governor hosted a roundtable discussion at the high school to hear directly from students and what they are experiencing on social media.
“It's also who you choose to surround yourself with,” stated a Williamsville East student.
A group of Williamsville East High schoolers were selected to join the mental health roundtable discussion hosted by Governor Hochul to discuss the impact social media is having on their mental health.
“There are barriers built around buffering social media companies, so they don't have any liability, but parents know there is a direct correlation between these addictive algorithms and the fact that they're being bombarded all night long. These children do not get any rest,” stated Governor Hochul.
Hochul has been holding similar sessions around the state and is pushing for legislation to stop addictive feeds.
"We have no choice but to take action. We have seen the negative effects of social media on young people as early as nine- and 10-year-olds, who are radically different children than they would have been if they weren't pulled by this addictive force into the dark spaces of social media. We have to act now,” declared Hochul.
“Social media is like follow the leader. one person does it and then another person continues and then it continues,” Aniyah Ramadan, senior.
Aniyah Ramadan, a Williamsville East senior, participated in the discussion. She says she has experienced some negative impacts and recently disabled her Instagram and I asked her how that has affected her mental health.
“I start to judge myself a little bit. I start to feel a little bit insecure about the things that I don't have, that other people may have or things that they might be able to do that I can't do,” replied Ramadan.
Williamsville Schools Superintendent Darren Brown-Hall told me that his district is among 900 other districts that are part of a major lawsuit against the social media giants.
If the governor's legislation is approved before the state legislative session ends June 6th, it would tell social media companies they “no longer: send unsolicited algorithms to students.
“So, this is inspiring accountability among the social media companies that we're holding them responsible, and we're working with them to find the path. Obviously, they prefer nothing to change. That's not acceptable,” Hochul remarked.
