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Sen. Roger Chamberlain, R-Lino Lakes, isn’t sold on his own plan to make large social media companies like Facebook and Twitter pay to operate in Minnesota.

“I’m not a big fan of tax increases,” he said.

 that would require social media companies with more than 100,000 users in Minnesota to register and pay an annual fee — the amount to be determined — while establishing a “social media impact fund.”

 would require new cellphones and log-in screens for social media sites to carry this warning:

A few other senators, nearly all fellow Republicans, have signed onto Chamberlain’s bills. However, he said the goal of the legislation isn’t necessarily to pass the bills into law — it’s about starting a conversation about the mental health issues linked to increased social media use.

The issue first came to Chamberlain’s attention a couple years ago, he said, while reading an article in the Atlantic by psychology professor 

“She showed that there was a strong correlation ... between the advent of mobile devices, smartphones and social media, and the dramatic rise in mental health problems, especially mental health problems among children and youth and teenagers,” Chamberlain said.

 Twenge’s work, and other research has found that social media 

Yet there is a wealth of evidence suggesting social media has an overall negative effect on mental health. An analysis of more than 120 studies found that social media “likely causes more harm than good,” as Psychology Today 

At the Minnesota Capitol, Chamberlain said his goal is to start a conversation about the issue of mental health and social media use.

“Let's talk about solutions,” he said. “Because we have a duty and a right to protect citizens, and this stuff is doing great harm.”

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The proposal by a Republican state senator would charge social media companies a fee for having Minnesota users and require a health warning upon login.

Republican Sens. Paul Gazelka and Roger Chamberlain

Tim Pugmire | MPR News

A woman looks at social networking applications

Minnesota lawmaker: Charge Facebook, Twitter for mental health impacts

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