Here's how Colorado's bill is different from Florida's social media ban

Editor’s note: The above video was created before the Florida social media ban passed but shares the perspective of a 13-year-old in the state.

Colorado has not yet legislated a social media ban for minors like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, but a new bill targeting changes to social media usage for minors cleared the state Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday.

Enjoying bipartisan support, if the “Healthier Social Media Use by Youth” bill becomes law, starting on Jan. 1, 2026, the state’s Department of Education would be required to create and maintain a resource bank of evidence-based resources on the mental and physical health impacts of social media use by minors.

The bill would also require pop-up warning notifications to young users on a social media app for more than an hour between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Hoping to be annoying, the pop-up would reappear after 15 minutes, then 10, and eventually every 5 minutes.

More:Ohio, more states push for social media laws to limit kids’ access: Where they stand

What do studies say about social media use among youth?

A 2022 survey by the Pew Research Center highlighted some of the benefits social media provides for youth. The study showed that 58% of those surveyed felt social media helped teenagers feel greater acceptance, 67% felt social media provided a community of support through tough times, 71% felt that social media provided a creative outlet, and 80% said they are more connected to what’s going on in their friends’ lives.

However, a study conducted by Yale Medicine over the last decade showed the potential negative impact of social media on adolescents. According to the survey, American teens ages 12 to 15 who used social media over three hours each day faced twice the risk of having adverse mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety.

Democratic Sen. Lisa Cutter and Republican Sen. Jim Smallwood are both sponsoring Colorado’s bill. Cutter stated that the bill would enact commonsense measures and educational efforts to help both parents and youth better understand the serious mental health effects of social media. “While social media can foster connections, experts are sounding the alarm about its addictive features — especially among youth,” Cutter said in a statement.