Gov. Kathy Hochul is unveiling a new series of State of the State proposals focused on protecting children online and addressing what state officials have repeatedly described as a growing youth mental health crisis. The initiatives are designed to strengthen safeguards on social media and online gaming platforms, and to provide teenagers with tools to support one another when mental health challenges arise.
Reactions from parents and professionals who work in technology make it clear that many New Yorkers are already concerned about how digital platforms affect children.
Michelle Ng, of Glen Cove, who is expecting her first child in April and works in the technology industry, said her career has shaped her perspective on young people’s use of social media. “As a UX designer and future parent, yes, I completely agree with the plan to restrict social media usage,” she wrote in response to a Facebook survey from the Herald, using industry shorthand for user experience. “When something is free, we (and our kids) are the products.”
Ng, who has worked as a software engineer and a product designer for Fortune 500 companies and startups and now runs her own design studio, added that UX designers are often responsible for making platforms highly engaging. Social media companies, she wrote, compete for user attention because apps are free and “are selling users products and their data to make money which need the users to stay on the apps more.”
Hochul’s proposals center on legislation that would shield children from online predators, scammers and harmful artificial intelligence chatbots increasingly embedded in digital platforms. As well, she is calling for a statewide expansion of Teen Mental Health First Aid, a program that trains adolescents to recognize signs of mental health and substance use issues among their peers and respond appropriately.
“As New York’s first mom Governor,” Hochul said in a statement on her website, “the well-being and safety of our children has always been one of my top priorities, and today we are continuing to break new ground to give our kids the tools and safeguards they need to contend with the unprecedented mental health challenges and real world dangers that can sometimes be a byproduct of navigating today’s digital world.”
The proposals build on youth-focused technology policies advanced by the governor over the course of the past year, including banning smartphones in schools, adding social media warning labels, restricting addictive algorithmic feeds, and creating safeguards against A.I. companions aimed at children. State officials argue that children’s digital lives are expanding rapidly, while existing protections have struggled to keep pace.
A central piece of the new package targets social media and gaming environments where children and adults can interact anonymously or across long distances. Lawsuits and investigations have alleged that some major platforms have failed to adopt sufficient safety tools for minors, leaving children vulnerable to grooming and exposure to explicit messages, violent material and content related to suicide.
The legislation would expand requirements for age verification on covered platforms, including online gaming services. It would also require “privacy by default,” meaning that minors’ accounts would automatically be set to the highest privacy setting. A user who a minor hasn’t established an online connection would be prevented from messaging minors, viewing their profiles or tagging them in posts. Location services would be turned off, children under 13 would need parental permission to form new connections, certain A.I. chatbot features would be disabled for minors, and parents would be able to limit financial transactions made through apps and games.
Portions of the package draw on legislation sponsored by State Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, who represent Brooklyn and Queens, respectively.
Glen Cove Schools Superintendent Alexa Doeschner wrote in an email to the Herald that the district “welcomes the Governor’s focus on protecting children and teens in digital spaces,” noting that stronger safeguards, clearer expectations for platforms, and increased mental-health education can help families and schools reinforce healthy, balanced technology use. She described efforts that prioritize student well-being while supporting parent awareness as “an important step forward. According to Doeschner, students better understand the impact devices have on their mental health, and the district is seeing “increased focus during instructional time and more face-to-face interaction among students,” outcomes that align with the goal of creating spaces where students are fully engaged in learning and connected with one another.
Other Facebook respondents described seeing the emotional effects of online life among teens. “I am a ballet instructor living in Glen Cove and support these restrictions but I support even more holding off on gifting phones to our youth,” Nicole Loizides Albruzzese wrote. “I see a increase in anxiety in our teens as they gain access to online media, text chats, etc.” She added that young athletes and dancers already face intense pressure, “shouldn’t have to feel obligated to keep checking in,” and that teens should focus on “our moments, our training, our intentions, and our objectives.”
Karen O’Mara Swett, of Sea Cliff, wrote she had been “coping with social media since MySpace” while raising three children, now ages 34, 26 and 25. All three, she said, have already decided that they will not give smartphones to her future grandchildren.
The proposals will go before the State Legislature in the coming session, continuing New York’s ongoing debate over youth mental health, parental responsibility, and how far the state should go in regulating children’s access to technology.
