How Do We Protect the Mental Health of the Rising Generation?

Children and youth are stronger when they limit their time on social media, and strong members of the rising generation strengthen their families, communities, states, and nations. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TENN.) is working to get a bill into law to protect young users of social media. She recently called out Big Tech, specifically Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and accused “social media companies of harming young users.” 

The timing is interesting because Blackburn’s remarks come as “20-year-old Kaley G.M. is suing Meta and Google’s YouTube” in Los Angeles County Superior Court. “She accuses the companies of designing addictive and harmful platforms that have negatively impacted her mental health.” However, “Zuckerberg continues to deny these accusations.”

The case is part of a growing national debate over whether social media companies should be legally responsible for how their platforms affect teens’ mental health.

Blackburn said on the Senate floor regarding this case, “New court documents that were made public … revealed that nearly 1 in 5 – 1 in 5 – young teenagers have reported seeing nudity or sexual images on Instagram that they did not want to see.”

The impact of these social media platforms has shown to worsen anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.

Zuckerberg denies that his platform increases mental health risks….

Blackburn also noted that when Zuckerberg testified, downplaying the accusations, he did so within feet of the parents of children who have tragically lost their lives from social media.

“Last year, Meta spent roughly $20 million fighting the Kids Online Safety Act.”

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Blackburn are sponsors of the Kids Online Safety Act. The legislation would protect minors from social media, video games, and other platforms by requiring safeguards for users under 17.

Annie Chestnut Tutor, a policy analyst for the Center for Technology and the Human Person at The Heritage Foundation, said, “The revised KOSA requires platforms to obtain verifiable parental consent for research for children older than 13. This robust measure provides parents with greater autonomy over how Big Tech companies may use their children’s information.

She added, “KOSA empowers parents by giving them the final say in their child’s privacy and account settings.” …

She explained that an earlier version of the Kids Online Safety Act passed “the Senate on a 91-to-3 vote. It has a veto-proof majority.” However, it never passed the House before the last congressional session ended.

Contact your Congressional representative and convince them to vote for KOSA. Our children and youth deserve protection of their mental health.