HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania students told state officials they feel overwhelmed, manipulated, and emotionally trapped by social media platforms during a year-long series of closed-door discussions that is now driving new recommendations aimed at schools, parents, lawmakers, and technology companies.
What This Means for You
- Pennsylvania students are urging adults and tech companies to address the mental health impacts of social media.
- Attorney General Dave Sunday’s office released a statewide report based on discussions with about 160 students.
- The report does not create new laws, but outlines recommended actions for families, schools, government leaders, and social media platforms.
Dave Sunday announced the release of a 20-page teenTALK report summarizing conversations with students from 35 schools across Pennsylvania about social media use, artificial intelligence, online content, and mental health.
The teenTALK initiative involved roundtable discussions between the attorney general and approximately 160 students during the 2025-26 school year. According to the report, students described social media as both beneficial and emotionally draining, often fueling anxiety, compulsive use, and exposure to harmful content.
The report is available here: teenTALK Report
Students Describe Addiction, Anxiety, and Algorithm Pressure
Several student comments included in the report centered on how social media algorithms repeatedly feed users similar content once they engage with a topic.
Algorithms are automated systems that decide what content users see online based on previous clicks, views, and interactions.
“It always agrees with you, even when you might be wrong,” one student told officials.
Another student described how online platforms intensify content exposure over time: “Once you watch one thing, it just keeps feeding you more.”
A third student summarized the difficulty many participants described in reducing social media use: “We know it’s not great — but it’s just too hard to stop. We’re stuck.”
Sunday described the conversations as unusually candid and said the discussions highlighted growing concerns about the influence of rapidly evolving technologies on young people.
“As an elected official, my duty is to protect Pennsylvanians from rapidly-evolving technology, specifically how A.I. and chatbots are influencing young minds to do and say things they may not otherwise,” Sunday said.
New Technology Unit and Recommended Actions
The attorney general also highlighted the recent creation of a Technology and Privacy Protection Unit within the Office of Attorney General’s Public Protection Division.
According to Sunday, the unit will focus on technology-related consumer protection and online safety issues.
The report itself does not establish new laws or formal policy changes. Instead, it outlines recommended actions developed from student feedback.
Among the recommendations:
- Students are encouraged to prioritize in-person interactions and block harmful or toxic online content.
- Parents are urged to model healthy technology habits and maintain conversations about online activity.
- Schools are encouraged to continue teaching digital safety and media literacy skills.
- Government officials are encouraged to review laws addressing online abuse and child safety protections.
- Social media companies are urged to remove harmful material and prioritize user safety over profits.
Calls for Broader Accountability
Sunday indicated the report is intended to guide future collaboration between schools, communities, businesses, and government officials on online safety and student wellness issues.
“We are not pointing fingers from the sidelines,” Sunday said. “On behalf of my office, I intend to be an active participant in finding solutions that promote student wellness.”
Students from Berks Catholic High School, including Rosalie Perlman and Gabby Frey, also spoke publicly Wednesday about their experiences participating in the discussions.
The report arrives as lawmakers, regulators, and attorneys general across the country continue increasing scrutiny of social media companies over youth mental health concerns, addictive platform design, and online safety practices.
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