December 27, 2025
Content warning: content warnings
New York to require social media platforms to display mental health warnings
NY slaps warning labels on endless scroll — commenters go to war
TLDR: New York will force social apps with endless feeds to show mental health warnings to young users. Commenters are split between cheering a crackdown on “parasite” platforms and mocking it as nanny‑state theater that’ll become Prop 65‑style noise, making this a loud battle over freedom vs. protection.
New York just dropped a bomb on Big Scroll: platforms with infinite feeds, auto‑play, and algorithm picks will have to show mental health warnings to young users. Governor Kathy Hochul framed it like cigarette labels, with fines up to $5,000 per violation and the state attorney general ready to pounce. The vibe: this is part of a growing crackdown, with Australia banning social media for under‑16s and the U.S. surgeon general already calling for warning labels. TikTok, Meta, Snap, and Alphabet? Quiet as a ghost.
But the comments section is where the fireworks start. One camp cheers, calling social media a parasite and begging society to “re‑learn life without it.” The other camp rolls its eyes, shouting “Stop infantalizing us” and listing everything that could use labels—books, TV, math, chess—basically, life itself. The memes came hot: a Star Wars‑style “this is how democracy dies” quip for extra drama. Cynics dunked on it as Prop 65‑style noise, predicting warnings that blur into background wallpaper. And then the meta-joke: “Will HN add the label too?” This isn’t just about kids and phones—it’s a clash over nanny‑state vibes versus tech addiction panic, served with maximum snark and side‑eye.
Key Points
- •New York will require social media platforms with infinite scroll, auto-play, and algorithmic feeds to display mental health warning labels for young users.
- •The law applies to conduct occurring partly or wholly in New York; it does not apply to users physically outside the state.
- •The New York attorney general can enforce the law and seek civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation.
- •Governor Kathy Hochul likened the labels to existing warnings on products such as tobacco and plastic packaging.
- •The measure aligns with broader actions, including Australia’s under-16 social media ban and prior calls from the U.S. surgeon general for warning labels.