NEW JERSEY — Rutgers University has been selected to establish and operate New Jersey’s new Social Media Research Center, which will study the effects of social media on children and develop recommendations to address addictive behaviors and potential mental health risks, Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced.
Sherrill and Secretary of Higher Education Margo Chaly announced the selection as part of the governor’s Kids’ Online Safety Agenda, an initiative aimed at protecting children from harmful online content and addressing the potential effects of social media on young people’s mental health.
Rutgers was chosen through a competitive grant process administered by the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education in coordination with the state Department of Health.
The university will receive a $500,000 grant funded through the state’s fiscal year 2027 budget to establish the center, which will bring together researchers from multiple Rutgers campuses, including Rutgers Health.
“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. Today, we’re delivering on a major pillar of that promise in a new Social Media Research Center,” said Governor Sherrill. “Research has linked social media to depression and anxiety, fatigue and trouble sleeping, poor body image and disordered eating. 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 center was authorized through legislation signed earlier this year as part of a package of three bills intended to strengthen online protections for children and increase accountability for technology companies.
The legislation includes the New Jersey Age-Appropriate Design Code, which limits the collection and retention of children’s personal data, establishes safeguards governing interactions between minors and adults, requires platforms to use the highest privacy settings by default for children and restricts certain features designed to encourage prolonged engagement.
The legislation also directed the state to establish a research center at a four-year public institution of higher education to study social media consumption and provide recommendations to policymakers, families, educators and communities.
According to the administration, the Rutgers center will focus on three primary areas: assessing the effects of social media, developing interventions to reduce harmful and addictive use, and promoting prevention strategies that encourage healthier online behaviors.
Researchers will also examine the potential effectiveness of warning labels on social media platforms as a way to discourage compulsive use.
“Our colleges and universities are home to world-class researchers and innovators who are tackling some of the most complex challenges of today. Rutgers University will put this expertise to work by playing a vital role in the State’s understanding of the impacts social media has on our young people,” said Margo Chaly, Secretary of Higher Education. “We look forward to their partnership and findings to address this issue that affects our communities.”
The center will work with the newly established Office of Youth Online Mental Health Safety and Awareness within the New Jersey Department of Health, which Sherrill created on her first day in office to coordinate statewide efforts to protect children online.
“Public health policy must be grounded in the best available evidence,” said Dr. Raynard Washington, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health. “The Social Media Research Center at Rutgers University will help New Jersey better understand how social media affects the health and well-being of our young people, and will work with the new Office of Youth Online Mental Health Safety and Awareness at the Department of Health to guide evidence-based solutions that support children, families, and communities across the state.”
The research center will be led by three Rutgers faculty members: Dr. Jessica Hamilton, an associate professor in the School of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Jeffrey Lane, an associate professor in the School of Communication and Information; and Dr. Vivien Wen Li Anthony, an associate professor in the School of Social Work.
The interdisciplinary approach will draw on expertise from Rutgers’ undergraduate, graduate and professional schools to examine how social media affects young people and identify evidence-based strategies to address potential risks.
“We are honored that the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education has selected Rutgers to host the Social Media Research Center. 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,” said Rutgers President William F. Tate IV. “We are grateful to OSHE and the Department of Health for their confidence in our work and look forward to a partnership that serves the public good.”
Hamilton, who will serve as director of the New Jersey Social Media Research Center, said the initiative will help provide families, schools and policymakers with research-based information about online safety and mental health.
“We are grateful to Governor Sherrill for making youth online safety and mental health a priority in her administration. With State support, the New Jersey Social Media Research Center at Rutgers will conduct rigorous and innovative research that New Jersey children and families, schools, and policymakers can use,” said Dr. Jessica L. Hamilton, Director of the New Jersey Social Media Research Center and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Rutgers University. “We hope to advance our understanding of social media’s effects on young people and help New Jersey lead the way in developing research-informed solutions to promote well-being.”
The announcement also follows a multistate settlement with Meta Platforms Inc. involving Instagram and Facebook. According to the administration, New Jersey is expected to receive at least $525 million and potentially more than $752 million under the $17.1 billion settlement announced by Attorney General Jennifer Davenport in August.
The settlement requires Meta to implement additional safety features intended to protect children and teenagers using its platforms.
State officials said settlement funds may be used for youth mental health programs, crisis intervention services, online safety investigations and digital literacy initiatives.
The Rutgers center is expected to provide independent research and recommendations to help state officials, educators and families better understand social media’s effects on children and develop strategies to promote healthier technology use.
