Representative Chris Stewart R-Utah intends to introduce legislation making it illegal for social media platforms to provide access to children under the age of 16, ksl reported Monday.
Stewart was recently named co-chairman of the bipartisan Mental Health Caucus in Congress. But he isn’t the only one trying to push social media restrictions into law. Many Utah representatives are talking about similar legislation for the state.
“I think in Utah we’re asking ourselves that same question,” Representative Jordan Teuscher R-South Jordan told KSL News Radio. “Thirteen the right age? Maybe it’s 14, 15, 16. I think in my last bill, at least initially, we’re moving forward with that 16-year-old age.”
Concerns about Restricting Social Media Use
One major concern over legislation on social media is that they would place the government in a position of power above teenagers’ own parents. Stewart said, though, that the law he was proposing wouldn’t displace parents’ decisions about social media use. Instead, it would be an aid in helping them avoid something harmful.
Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, didn’t take a position on the possible bill, but the social media companies do seem to be standing somewhat opposite the government on these issues.
NetChoice, a tech group including Meta, Google, TikTok and Twitter says that “heavy-handed” government regulation is not the answer. Its vice president, Carl Szabo, pointed instead to social media education. Laws like this one, he said, are a violation of the media’s First Amendment Rights.
Szabo also said there were other sources to blame for low mental health statistics. “It happens to do with being locked down in our homes for two years,” he said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic. “That seems to be hand-waved away.”
The Connection between Mental Health and Social Media
Government officials, on the other hand, seem to agree among themselves that declining mental health has something to do with social media. “The statistics are clear we’ve got a generation of young people that are the most distressed, anxious, depressed and tragically suicidal than any generation in our history,” said Stewart.
A study done by the Institute of Family Studies and the Wheatley Institute at Brigham Young University indicated in its research that most teens spend up to nine hours on their phones every day. Teens who spent over eight hours a day on phones were about twice as likely to be depressed as those spending less time on screens.
Add that to Governor Cox and Brad Wilcox’s discussion on social media and mental health, and there is a pretty clear picture that legislators don’t want to sit still on this issue anymore.
‘We Can’t Just Turn Away’
Utah lawmakers such as Representative Jordan Teuscher and Senator Mike McKell along with Governor Cox are pushing for legislation on social media use.
On the federal level, Stewart said his legislation has both Republican and Democratic co-sponsors and his talks with the White House have been encouraging.
Stewart said, “We can’t just turn away from it. We can’t just ignore it. We can’t just pat them on the back and say ‘hey, you’ll feel better’ and ignore it.”
– The Byway
Feature image caption: Chris Stewart talks to ksl about legislation on social media use. Courtesy ksl.