New York wants a warning label on your social media doomscroll

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

New York is treating social media like a public health issue. 

On Friday, Governor Kathy Hochul signed a new law requiring social media companies to slap warning labels on platforms that use what the state calls “addictive feeds.” 

Yes, that includes the endless scroll. Yes, it’s aimed squarely at kids. And yes, Silicon Valley is probably stress-refreshing Slack right now.

The law targets the design features that keep people glued to their screens long after they meant to log off, think infinite scrolling on TikTok, auto-play videos on YouTube, and algorithmically curated feeds on Instagram. 

Under the new rules, platforms using these features must display clear, unavoidable warning labels explaining the potential mental health risks, especially for teens and children. (Via: Reuters)

Anxiety, depression, compulsive use, it’s all on the label.

Hochul compared the move to warning labels on cigarette packs or plastic bags.

If we can warn people about lung damage or suffocation hazards, the argument goes, we can probably warn them that scrolling until 2 AM might not be great for their brains. 

The key shift here is responsibility: instead of placing the burden entirely on parents, New York is demanding that platforms admit how their designs actually work.

And this isn’t just a polite suggestion. The law gives the New York Attorney General real enforcement power, including fines of up to $5,000 per violation. 

While the rules only apply to users physically in New York, the message is loud and clear: self-regulation is no longer cutting it.

New York isn’t acting alone. California and Minnesota have passed similar measures, and Australia recently went even further by banning social media for kids under 16. 

Even the US Surgeon General has called for warning labels, making New York the first state to actually make it law.

For everyday users, the labels are meant to be a speed bump, a moment of friction before the algorithm takes over. Whether that’s enough to change behavior remains to be seen. 

But as lawsuits pile up and lawmakers sharpen their knives, one thing feels certain: the era of frictionless doomscrolling is officially under review.