An act protecting children from addictive social media feeds

Find your legislator here.: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator

Subject: Please Support S.30 / H.4229 to Protect Kids from Addictive Social Media Feeds

Dear [Senator/Representative] [Last Name],
As a Massachusetts parent, I’m deeply concerned about how addictive social media design features are affecting our kids’ mental health, sleep, and well-being.
Endless algorithmic feeds, autoplay videos, and constant notifications are not accidental—they’re engineered to keep children online as long as possible. For developing brains, these features are especially hard to resist. The U.S. Surgeon General has warned that excessive and compulsive social media use can lead to anxiety, depression, poor body image, and loss of sleep. I see these impacts in my own community, and I know many families who are struggling.
S.30 / H.4229 is a common-sense solution. It would:
Give minors a non-addictive feed by default.

Prevent notifications between midnight and 6 a.m., protecting vital sleep hours.

Allow teens to still connect with friends and see content they choose—without being pushed endless, manipulative content they never asked for.

This bill doesn’t block content or limit free speech—it simply addresses harmful design practices that put profits over kids’ health. States like New York and California have already taken similar action, and Massachusetts should too.
Please support S.30 / H.4229 to help protect our children from the harms of addictive social media.
Thank you for your attention and leadership,
[Your Name]
[Your Town]

Find your legislator: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator

Subject: Please Support S.30 / H.4229 — For Our Kids’ Health and Well-Being

Dear [Senator/Representative] [Last Name],
I’m writing to you not just as a voter, but as a parent who is deeply worried about what social media is doing to our kids.
I’ve seen how easy it is for children and teens to get pulled into their phones for hours—losing sleep, missing out on in-person time with friends and family, and sometimes coming across harmful content they never went looking for. I’ve also seen how hard it is for them to pull themselves away, because these platforms are designed to make that almost impossible.
S.30 / H.4229 is a common-sense way to help. It doesn’t take social media away from kids; it simply removes the most addictive design features—endless scrolling feeds, algorithmic “suggestions” that keep them hooked, and late-night notifications that interrupt much-needed rest.
Our kids deserve technology that works for them, not against them. Other states like New York and California have already taken this step, and I believe Massachusetts should lead the way in protecting children’s mental health.
Please support S.30 / H.4229 and make a real difference for families like mine.
Thank you for your time and commitment to our children’s future,
[Your Name]
[Your Town]

Find your legislator: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator

Subject: Please Support S.30 / H.4229 — Protect Our Kids from Addictive Social Media

Dear [Senator/Representative] [Last Name],
As a Massachusetts parent, I’m deeply concerned about how social media is affecting our kids’ mental health, focus, and sleep. The fight for our children’s attention is no longer a fair one. Social media companies have developed highly sophisticated methods to capture and keep young people engaged — and our kids’ developing brains are especially vulnerable.
This isn’t just “teen distraction” like the TV shows of the past. Platforms track every click, like, and pause to feed children an endless stream of individually tailored content, designed to keep them scrolling. Each dopamine hit means more time on the app — and more ad revenue for the companies — at the expense of our kids’ well-being. Researchers call this “human fracking”: extracting every last drop of attention from our children, just as fracking extracts oil from the earth, with equally destructive results.
The U.S. Surgeon General warns that excessive social media use is linked to anxiety, depression, loneliness, sleep loss, and attention problems — and that spending more than three hours a day online doubles the risk of serious mental health issues. Our teens average almost five hours daily.
S.30 / H.4229 is a common-sense solution that would:
Require a non-addictive feed by default for all users until a platform confirms they are not minors.

Stop late-night notifications between midnight and 6 a.m., protecting essential sleep.

Still allow kids to see posts from friends, accounts they follow, and content they search for — without manipulative algorithmic feeds designed to hook them.

This bill is content-neutral, legally sound, and modeled after successful legislation in New York and California. It protects choice while curbing the worst, most harmful design practices.
Our children need us to push back against Big Tech’s grip on their time, attention, and mental health. Please support S.30 / H.4229 and stand with Massachusetts families.
Thank you for your leadership,
[Your Name]
[Your Town]

Find your legislator: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator

Subject: Protect Our Kids from Addictive Social Media Feeds – Support S.30 / H.4229

Dear [Legislator’s Name],
As a parent, I’m deeply concerned about how social media platforms are targeting our kids with design features meant to keep them glued to their screens. Algorithm-driven “addictive feeds,” autoplay videos, and constant notifications are not harmless conveniences — they are engineered to exploit the adolescent brain’s heightened sensitivity to rewards, making it incredibly difficult for young people to log off.
The results are devastating: disrupted sleep, increased anxiety and depression, negative body image, and exposure to dangerous content — including material that promotes eating disorders or even self-harm. The U.S. Surgeon General has warned that excessive social media use can alter parts of the developing brain tied to impulse control, emotional regulation, and social behavior. Teens in Massachusetts now spend nearly five hours a day on these platforms, often at the expense of in-person relationships, schoolwork, and healthy activities.
S.30 / H.4229 offers a smart, targeted solution:
Require social media companies to provide all users a non-addictive feed by default, unless they determine the user is not a minor.
Prohibit overnight notifications to minors between midnight and 6 a.m., protecting critical sleep hours.
Preserve teens’ ability to connect with friends and access content they choose, while eliminating algorithmic streams designed to hijack their attention.
This bill is content-neutral. It doesn’t block posts or limit ideas — it simply reins in manipulative design practices that put profits ahead of kids’ well-being. Similar laws in New York and California have shown this approach can be both effective and legally sound.
Every day, parents see the toll these addictive feeds take — in our homes, classrooms, and counseling offices. We’re asking for your leadership in protecting our children’s mental health and futures. Please advance S.30 / H.4229 without delay.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Town]
[Optional: “Parent of a [X]-year-old"]

Find your legislator: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator

Subject: Support S.30 / H.4229 — Protect Students’ Focus, Learning, and Health

Dear [Senator/Representative] [Last Name],
As a Massachusetts educator, I see firsthand how social media is shaping — and often harming — our students’ ability to focus, learn, and thrive. The challenge of holding a teenager’s attention isn’t new, but in the last decade, the game has changed. Social media platforms now deploy highly sophisticated, individually tailored feeds that are far more powerful than any distraction of the past.
In my classroom, I see students who arrive tired from late-night scrolling, distracted by notifications, and increasingly anxious or withdrawn because of what they see online. These aren’t isolated cases — they’re part of a growing national crisis. The U.S. Surgeon General reports that excessive social media use is associated with changes in brain areas related to impulse control, emotional regulation, and social behavior. For teens spending nearly five hours daily on these platforms, the risks are significant: anxiety, depression, poor body image, and loss of sleep.
The design features driving this crisis — endless algorithmic feeds, autoplay videos, and constant notifications — are not accidental. They are built to hijack attention, especially from young, developing minds. Some researchers call it “human fracking”: extracting as much engagement as possible, with little regard for the damage left behind.
S.30 / H.4229 offers a clear path forward:
Limit addictive feeds for minors by default until platforms verify age.

Prohibit notifications between midnight and 6 a.m., safeguarding rest.

Preserve access to posts from friends, accounts students follow, and content they seek out — while eliminating manipulative design practices.

This is a content-neutral approach modeled after laws in New York and California. It gives our students a fairer, healthier relationship with technology, both inside and outside the classroom.
I urge you to support S.30 / H.4229 to protect our students’ focus, learning, and mental health.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[School / District]
[Your Town]