Young people’s brains are changing.

Research shows social media activates the same dopamine-driven reward pathways in the brain as addictive substances. The scroll, the like, the notification — each one is a quick hit of pleasure that keeps you coming back.

The U.S. Surgeon General has warned that teens who use social media for more than three hours a day face double the risk of depression and anxiety, and the vast majority of American teenagers use social media. More than a third say they use it “almost constantly.” 

The platforms keep us sucked in so long that we now have new terms for our interactions with these devices, like “doomscrolling” and “brain rot.”

Now, the courts are getting involved. In Los Angeles, a jury is hearing claims that Meta and YouTube deliberately designed their platforms to get children addicted. In New Mexico, the state attorney general is suing Meta for allegedly failing to protect minors from sexual exploitation. 

In Michigan, legislators are cracking down on phones in schools. This month, Michigan banned smartphones in the classroom, affecting students in the fall. 

State Representative Mark Tisdel, a Republican representing Rochester Hills, sponsored the cell phone ban. He joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss how he believes lawmakers should stand up to Big Tech.

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In the Republican-controlled House, lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a bill banning cell phones in charter and public schools with strong bipartisan support. Now it’s headed to the Michigan Senate, where Democrats hold the majority.

Many school districts in the state already have phone bans and restrictions. But this recent vote in the state House was significant. A similar bill didn’t pass the same chamber last summer. Inaction was a theme last legislative session as lawmakers in Lansing passed the fewest number of bills on record.

What changed? And, what other bills might the legislature be able to pass along bipartisan lines this session?

Mark Tisdel is a Republican representing Rochester Hills and the sponsor of the cell phone ban bill. He spoke with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro