Federal Social Media Research Act

This bill directs the government's top auditor (the Comptroller General) to conduct two studies on how social media affects minors. The short-term study (completed within 1 year) will examine links between social media use and specific health issues like anxiety, depression, and eating disorders in users under 18. A longer-term study (completed within 10 years) will track a group of under-18 social media users to assess long-term health impacts. The studies are funded with $1 million for the short-term study and $20 million for the longitudinal study, both to be reported to Congress. The bill directly affects minors under 18 by focusing research on their health outcomes related to social media use.