NYC first to designate social media as environmental toxin

• The department urged parents and caregivers to delay giving children access to a smartphone or social media until at least age 14.
• They also urged federal and state policymakers to expand on legislative proposals that protect youth from "predatory practices by social media companies."

The big picture: Social media companies are increasingly being blamed for historically high rates of depression, suicidality and other mental health issues in youth, Axios's Tina Reed reports.

• States and local governments, as a result, are increasingly pursuing legislation and legal action.

What they're saying: "We won't let Big Tech endanger our kids," NYC Mayor Eric Adams said in his State of the City speech Wednesday.

• The advisory urged all New Yorkers to "advocate to hold social media companies accountable and advance reform that protects youth from harmful and predatory practices."

Go deeper: Pew: Many teens use social media "almost constantly"