{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=600", "ICYMI: Balint Joins Steil to Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Kids\u2019 Mental Health Online", "2025-09-08", "2025", "2025-09", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Last week, Rep. Becca Balint (VT-AL) and Rep. Bryan Steil (WI-01) introduced the Protecting Young Minds Online Act, which requires the Center for Mental Health Services to develop and disseminate a strategy to address the effects of new technologies, like social media, on children\u2019s mental health.\n\n\u201cThe loneliness crisis in this country affects us all one way or another. And young Americans are relying on social media and technology to find a sense of connection. But we know social media exposure can also have negative effects on mental health,\u201d said Balint. \u201cAs a mom of two teens, and a former teacher, I\u2019m deeply concerned about the mental health impact of social media on our youth. It\u2019s critical we act to better understand the potential harms. I\u2019m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan legislation to take the important step to promote positive use of social media and protect our youth.\u201d\n\n\u201cSocial media and emerging technologies can have a harmful impact on children, driving depression, anxiety, and in worst cases, self-harm and suicide,\u201d said Steil. \u201cThe federal government should work alongside families, teachers, and children to provide the tools necessary to promote positive mental health and keep our children safe.\u201d\n\nIn recent years, there has been a significant increase in mental health disorders in youth, including depression, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth ages 15-24. Approximately one out of every 10 high school students reports attempting suicide each year.\n\nAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u2019s (CDC) 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, nearly one in three teenage girls seriously considered attempting suicide, and 40% of all students reported persistent sadness or hopelessness.\n\nTo read the full text of the legislation, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T15:07:37Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=600"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7384300697594881, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}