Illinois Valley Times

State Senator Sue Rezin has shared information on the initiative to implement warning labels on social media platforms. "This is a crucial step in raising awareness and safeguarding our children from online harm," she said in a Sept. 12 Facebook post.

"For over a year, I've been pushing for stronger protections for kids from the dangers of social media," said Rezin, according to Facebook. "Now, Illinois is taking action, joining 41 other states calling for cigarette-like warning labels on social media platforms. This is a crucial step in raising awareness and safeguarding our children from online harm. It's time we take this seriously."

In her Facebook post, Rezin shared a link to a WGN9 report from Sept. 11. According to the WGN report, Illinois is one of 42 states where state Attorneys General are advocating for warning labels on social media to help young people mitigate the risks associated with these platforms. The report also highlights that teens spend approximately 4.6 hours a day on social media, according to a 2023 Gallup survey, with girls spending more time on these platforms than boys.

Screenshot of State Sen. Sue Rezin's Sept. 12 Facebook post | Senator Sue Rezin's Facebook page

The report included an excerpt of a letter from state attorneys general to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. "As State Attorneys General, we sometimes disagree about important issues, but all of us share an abiding concern for the safety of the kids in our jurisdictions—and algorithm-driven social media platforms threaten that safety. A growing body of research links young people’s use of those social media platforms to a variety of serious psychological harms, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation," the letter said.

Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General, called for a warning label in a July op-ed in The New York Times. He said that while the warning label itself wouldn’t create safety, policymakers, platforms, and the public would need to take action as well. Murthy emphasized that platforms should be prevented from collecting sensitive information from children and should stop using infinite scroll and push notifications, which he says can contribute to excessive use of social media. "It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents," he wrote.

Rezin was appointed to the State Senate in December 2010 and has continuously served the people of the 38th Senate District. In 2021, she was selected as Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate Republican Caucus. In 2015, she collaborated with local employers to establish an Operations Engineering and Technician technical program at Joliet Junior College. She holds a degree in International Business and Political Science from Augustana College and has co-owned and managed her family’s real estate company.