Plugged Out: Examining the Impact of Technology on America’s Youth

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a full committee hearing titled “Plugged Out: Examining the Impact of Technology on America’s Youth” on Thursday, January 15th at 10:00 am EST. With tweens spending an average of five hours a day on screens, and teens over eight hours a day, this hearing will examine how early, excessive use of smartphones, tablets, and laptops can harm development and mental wellbeing. The hearing will also explore how to empower parents, who often struggle to monitor and limit screen time, at a time when the U.S. education system – fueled by federal subsidies and incentives – is providing personal devices to children. In one of his first moves as chairman, Sen. Cruz, with Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), reintroduced the Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA), bipartisan legislation to help protect kids from the harmful impacts of social media. KOSMA would set a minimum age to use social media platforms at 13 and prevent social media companies from using algorithms to feed addictive content to users under the age of 17. Additionally, KOSMA would prevent taxpayer dollars from funding tools that allow children to access social media in the classroom by blocking social media and other harmful content on federally funded school networks and devices. KOSMA passed out of committee on June 30, 2025. Witnesses: Dr. Jean Twenge, Professor of Psychology, San Diego State University Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, Director, LME Global Ms. Emily Cherkin, Author and Founder of The Screentime Consultant Dr. Jenny Radesky, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School.