Bill Text: HI SCR141 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii Senate Concurrent Resolution 141 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Declaring The Second Week Of May As Social Media Break Week In The State Of Hawaii.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-03-16 - Referred to LCA. [SCR141 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2022-SCR141-Introduced.html

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	141
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

DECLARING THE SECOND WEEK OF MAY AS SOCIAL MEDIA BREAK WEEK IN THE STATE OF HAWAII.

WHEREAS, social media plays an important role in the daily lives of individuals in the twenty-first century; and

WHEREAS, social media has become a prominent factor in lives of individuals, including those who struggle with mental health conditions; and

WHEREAS, studies have shown that individuals struggling with a variety of mental health conditions use social media platforms at exceptional rates; and

WHEREAS, many individuals rely on social media to connect with others, but spending too much time engaging on social media could, in turn, cause individuals to feel isolated; and

WHEREAS, for these and other reasons, social media can contribute to the development of anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions; and

WHEREAS, according to a 2015 study done by Common Sense Media, teens may spend up to nine hours a day on social media; and

WHEREAS, a 2016 study published in the National Library of Medicine found that adolescents from ages fourteen to seventeen years old who used seven hours or more of screen time, compared to lower users of one hour a day, were more than twice as likely to have been diagnosed with depression and anxiety, treated by a mental health professional, or have taken medication related to psychological or behavioral issues in the last twelve months; and

WHEREAS, in 2017, the United Kingdom's Royal Society for Public Health conducted a survey of fifteen hundred adolescents about their social media habits, and found that Instagram and other social networks are associated with bullying, body dysmorphia, and poor sleep habits; and

WHEREAS, a detoxification from social media would encourage individuals to improve their quality of life and relationships, give their minds a break, and get in touch with nature; and

WHEREAS, in the United States, the month of May is observed as Mental Health Awareness Month; and

WHEREAS, the State is committed to improving public mental health and raising awareness of the detrimental effects that social media can have on an individual's mental health; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, the House of Representatives concurring, that the second week of May be recognized as Social Media Break Week in Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that during the second week of May, the people of Hawaii are encouraged to take a break from social media and prioritize mental health; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to continue improving public mental health, raise awareness of the detrimental effects that social media can have on an individual's mental health, and promote the second week of May as Social Media Break Week in Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and Director of Health.