What happens in a child’s life when social media becomes more influential than school, family, or friends? As concerns grow over the effects social media has on children’s mental health, the government is taking new steps to limit youth’s online access. The Kids Off Social Media Act is a bipartisan bill proceeding through the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee. It would ban social media platforms from allowing children under the age of 13 to have an account. In addition, the legislation would restrict algorithm-based content recommendations for users under the age of 17.
This proposal, initiated by Senators Brian Schatz, Ted Cruz, Chris Murphy, and Katie Britt, was introduced due to recent research proving that heavy social media use leads to anxiety, depression, and disrupted sleep among teenagers. According to a statement by Senator Schatz of Hawaii, “These personalized algorithms often feed kids toxic content meant to induce an emotional reaction, making them more depressed, anxious and upset.” Those trying to pass this bill are attempting to protect children from addictive content feeds and allow parents greater control over their children’s experiences online.
How will this bill affect the youth? Under the Kids Off Social Media Act, platforms cannot allow children under 13 to create social media accounts and will stop websites from recommending specific content to users under 17. This act aims to reduce exposure to harmful or addictive content. It would also require schools that receive federal internet discounts to block social media on all devices using the school’s Wi-Fi, meaning students would no longer be allowed to access social media platforms during the school day.
Students in New York are already experiencing a no-phone school, due to the Distraction-Free Schools law. In signing this law, Governor Hochul said, “Our young people succeed when they’re learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling – and that’s why New York will be ready to implement bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions on the first day of school.” Her proposal has forced students in several districts to lock their phones in pouches during school hours.
However, not everyone agrees that government restrictions are the best solutions to these issues. Critics, including people from the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), argue that these bans are a violation of the First Amendment. They state that “Banning access to these platforms would be an extraordinary infringement on young people’s First Amendment rights and would represent a large expansion of government authority over who can access which online services.” Enforcing age verification for users may mean requiring even more personal data from them, which can create new risks.
Still, many supporters insist that this act is beneficial. New York Attorney General Letitia James and Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced new rules to enforce the state’s SAFE for Kids Act, which restricts social media companies from sending addictive content and late-night notifications. “Our kids are facing a mental health crisis fueled by addictive social media feeds,” James and Hochul said in a September 17 statement, “– and the changes announced today by Instagram are proof that New York’s nation-leading laws are already making a powerful impact to protect kids online.”
As the Kids Off Social Media Act continues to move through Congress, and as New York schools adapt to new phone restrictions, one thing is made clear: the conversation around technology and social media affecting the youth isn’t ending anytime soon.
