California has taken a significant step towards protecting children from the potential harmful effects of social media addiction by passing a new law that will make it illegal for social media platforms to provide addictive feeds to children without parental consent starting in 2027. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law on Friday, making it a landmark decision in the efforts to regulate children's exposure to social media content. This move follows similar legislation in New York earlier this year and underscores a larger trend of states addressing the impact of social media on young people.

The law aims to address the concerns around social media addiction and its detrimental impacts on children's mental health and well-being. It prohibits platforms from sending notifications to minors during specific hours when children are typically in school and mandates that children's accounts be set to private by default. By limiting the exposure to addictive features and content, the law seeks to mitigate the risks associated with excessive screen time, isolation, stress, and anxiety that can result from unchecked social media consumption.

Governor Newsom highlighted the dangers of social media addiction, emphasizing the need to protect children from the potentially harmful consequences of unrestricted access to addictive online content. The legislation is a response to growing concerns about the negative effects of social media on young individuals and reflects a broader effort to regulate the tech industry's influence on the well-being of children across the country. By setting a precedent in online privacy and user protections, California is paving the way for other states to follow suit in addressing the challenges posed by social media platforms.