(a)
The department, in consultation with the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, shall report to the Senate and Assembly Committees on Health, the Senate Committee on Judiciary, the Assembly Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection, and other relevant policy committees of the Legislature, a statewide strategy to understand, communicate, and mitigate mental health risks associated with the use of social media by children and youth. The report shall include all of the following:
(1)
The degree to which the mental health of children and youth is positively, negatively, or neutrally impacted by use of social media.
(2)
Recommendations to strengthen children and youth resiliency strategies and California’s use of mental health services related to
social media use.
(3)
Any barriers to receiving data relevant to completing this report.
(b)
In preparing the report, the department shall explore all of the following:
(1)
The types of social media.
(2)
The child and youth populations that use social media, including disproportionate rates and impacts among specific groups.
(3)
Opportunities to support resilience and mental well-being among children and youth around social media use.
(4)
Negative behavioral health risks, which includes mental health and substance misuse associated with social media use and misuse among children and youth.
(5)
The factors that contribute to positive, negative, and neutral impacts among various populations of children and youth.
(c)
In formulating this report, the department shall prioritize the
perspectives of children and youth through a robust engagement process with a focus on transition-age youth, at-risk populations, in-need populations, and underserved cultural and linguistic populations.
(d)
The department shall also consult with the California mental health community, including, but not limited to, consumers, children, youth, families, providers, educators, and other subject matter experts, as it develops the report and prior to the report being publicly reported as provided in subdivision (a).
(e)
The report shall be submitted on or before December 31, 2026.
(f)
The report shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
