Recently, I publicly announced the launch of my “Safe Screens, Healthy Minds” initiative, which

intends to address the harmful effects that social media platforms have on young, developing
minds, and to hold social media platforms accountable for deceptive practices.
 
During the first phase of this initiative, I will hold a series of roundtables across the state to
gather input from parents, educators, and mental health professionals. The first event will be
Wednesday, January 31 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Yorkville Middle School Auditorium.
Feedback from parents to mental health professionals will provide valuable insights to further
guide our efforts in the months ahead. By fostering a statewide dialogue, we can take collective
action to put protections into place to protect minors when using these platforms.
 
As you may already know, studies have revealed the deliberate design of social media platforms
encourages harmful behaviors, intensifies issues such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders,
and feelings of inadequacy, and provides a venue for unwanted sexual advances on minors.
These research findings align with disclosures from multiple whistleblowers who testified
before the U.S. Congress, providing further support for the independent research results.
 
While these platforms offer immense opportunities for communication and learning, they also
present significant risks, especially when it comes to the deceptive practices employed by social
media platforms to target young users through algorithms and data harvesting.
The ultimate goal of my Safe Screens, Healthy Minds initiative is to directly address those
concerns through the introduction and passage of legislation, and the first step to
accomplishing that goal is to meet with Illinoisans like you.
Please consider attending my first roundtable meeting in Yorkville. Additionally, I have created
an online survey for those who cannot attend. I would greatly appreciate it if you shared the
details about my Yorkville roundtable and the online survey with anyone you think may be
interested.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Sue Rezin
Illinois State Senator