New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced the creation of a state Social Media Research Center Oct. 19.
Rutgers University in New Brunswick will house the new hub. The Office of the Secretary of Higher Education selected RU following a competitive grant opportunity. The research center will receive a $500,000 award from OSHE, already budgeted for fiscal year 2027, to operate.
The Social Media Research Center will begin its work immediately, according to the governor.
When coming into office, Sherrill signed three bills into law to better protect New Jersey’s children online, hold Big Tech accountable, and address the effects of social media on children and teens.
“I promised in my campaign to take on Big Tech because it poses one of the greatest generational threats to our kids’ mental health and well-being,” said Sherrill. “Today, we’re delivering on a major pillar of that promise … ”
The announcement comes a few months after Meta settled a multistate lawsuit potentially worth up to $17.1 billion. New Jersey will receive somewhere between $525 million and $752 million under that deal. The total depends on whether other social media companies agree to similar protections, according to New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport.
“Research has linked social media to depression and anxiety, fatigue and trouble sleeping, poor body image and disordered eating,” said Sherrill. “This new Center will be an invaluable tool to help us better understand how technology is affecting our children, and more importantly, turn research into real solutions to protect our kids, support our families, and address the ongoing youth mental health crisis.”
The Social Media Research center will focus on:
- Assessment Understanding impacts of social media
- Intervention Mitigating addictive and harmful social media use
- Prevention Promoting health and responsible social media use
“We are honored that the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education has selected Rutgers to host the Social Media Research Center,” said Rutgers President William Tate IV. “By bringing together researchers from across our campuses and schools, including Rutgers Health, the Center will turn the study of social media’s effects on young people into practical solutions for New Jersey families and communities.”
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