Vindman, Barrett Introduce Bipartisan Legislative Package to Confront the Impact of Screen Addiction on Men’s Mental Health

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representatives Eugene Vindman (D-Va.-07) and Tom Barrett (R-Mich.-07) today introduced a pair of bipartisan bills to confront the rising crisis of screen addiction, and its toll on American men and boys - a trend increasingly linked to worsening mental health, declining workforce participation, and weakened social and family connections.

The two bills - the Tech Wellness for Men Act and the Tech Wellness for Young Men Act - direct the federal government to comprehensively study the mental, social, and economic consequences of screen addiction among men and boys, and to deliver evidence-based recommendations to Congress.

"Too many men and boys in our country are quietly suffering - struggling with anxiety, isolation, and lost opportunities as screen addiction erodes their mental health, undermines family bonds, and pulls them out of the workforce," said Vindman. "These bills are the first step toward confronting a growing crisis by putting facts and evidence above assumptions. Our families and our communities deserve real solutions."

"One of the biggest challenges of raising four kids today is managing screen time in an increasingly digital world. Kids and teenagers all across the country are more interested in burying their face in a video game than playing outside," said Barrett. "This isolation from the real world has led to an alarming spike in anxiety and depression, especially among boys and young men. These bills are about understanding the toll screen addiction is having on the next generation and getting serious about addressing the root cause before this trend gets any worse."

The Tech Wellness for Men Act confronts screen addiction as a growing threat to men's mental health, stability, and economic participation. This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation to conduct a federal study of men ages 25-64, investigating screen addiction's impacts on their mental, social, and developmental wellbeing.

Specifically, the study would:

• Assess links between excessive screen use and depression, anxiety, substance misuse, sleep disorders, workforce disengagement, and social isolation.
• Include focused analysis of veterans and unemployed men with data broken down by urban, suburban, and rural areas.
• Confront an overlooked driver of male decline and restore personal and family resilience.

HHS will report its findings and provide policy recommendations to Congress within 18 months.

The Tech Wellness for Young Men Act would also direct a comprehensive study through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Institute of Mental Health, and the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation to study screen addiction's effects on the mental, social, and developmental health of boys and young men ages 12-25. This age group now faces unprecedented levels of digital exposure during a critical stage of emotional and cognitive development.

Specifically, the study would:

• Examine emotional development, impulse control, academic performance, attention span, and the erosion of friendships, dating relationships, and family ties.
• Examine compulsive gaming, streaming, and social media use, and their impact on civic and physical engagement to measure digital dependency.
• Require input from adolescent psychiatrists, addiction scientists, educators, and technology ethicists.

HHS must provide Congress with findings, identify the most vulnerable subgroups, and outline recommended next steps within 18 months.

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