New York lawmakers introduce 2 bills that would regulate social media use by children
NEW YORK -- New York officials are attempting to regulate unhealthy social media usage by vulnerable children.
Studies show prolonged use increases childhood anxiety, depression and self harm.
The targets include TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X, formerly known as Twitter.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, and state lawmakers say social media is the culprit, using algorithms that cause troubling mental health issues.
"Our children are in crisis and it's up to us to save them," Hochul said Wednesday.
"A report by the surgeon general shows that youth who spend more than three hours a day on social media are twice as likely to experience depression and anxiety," James said.
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Lawmakers are introducing two bills. The first is the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation for Kids Act, or SAFE Act, which requires social media companies to restrict addictive features on their platforms.
The bill prohibits social media companies from sending notification to minors between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. without parental consent, allows parents to block access to social media for minors between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m., and allows parents to limit the amount of hours their children can spend on the platforms.
A second bill would prohibit social media companies from collecting, using, or sharing personal data of children under the age of 18.
"Just think about this for a minute. The very founders of these social media companies don't allow their own kids to use these technologies," Brooklyn state Sen. Andrew Gournades said.
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There is also a concern about children being exposed to the disturbing images of the atrocities in Israel.
"Jewish parents are being told to remove social media apps completely from their phones because there is no way to actually prevent what their children will see," Queens Assemblywoman Nily Rozik said.
Suffolk County mother Kathleen Spence said her then-11-year-old daughter was a victim. She went on social media seeking information on stuffed animals and instead received information on eating disorders.
"It took years for our daughter to overcome her social media addiction and to finally recover from her eating disorder, her self harm, and her attempt to take her own life," Spence said.
Officials said the hope is New York will be the leader and that other states will follow in curbing social media.