Utah’s new social media regulations, passed by the Utah State Legislature and recently signed into law in 2023, are proposed by Jonathan Haidt of New York University, Jean Twenge of San Diego State University, and W. Bradford of the Institute of Family Studies.・It has its roots in research by Mr. Wilcox. University of Virginia.
These three have been among the most serious and vocal in calling out the harmful effects associated with social media, especially on teenage girls. According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 in 10 teenage girls will continue to feel sad or hopeless in 2021, and 30% of girls in grades 9 to 12 have said they have “suicidal thoughts.” He says he has thought about it seriously.
Researchers point to effects associated with social media, including social isolation and loneliness, depression, increased anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts.
Sen. Mike McKell (R-Spanish Fork) sponsored SB152, the Social Media Regulation Amendment. A new law will require social media companies to verify the age of everyone in Utah who use their platforms, preventing minors from signing up and using accounts without parental permission. It is to do so. It also gives parents or guardians access to monitor their children’s accounts and prohibits minors from using social media between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. without parental consent.
HB311, Social Media Usage Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Jordan Teuscher (R-South Jordan), prohibits social media companies’ use of algorithms and other features that can make minors addicted to their platforms. is prohibited. This creates both a way to deal with violations of requirements and a private right to sue for damages.
State officials said they were proud to lead the way as the first state to impose restrictions.
“Governor. Mr. Cox cares deeply about the mental health of young people, and as we seek family-friendly solutions, it has become clear that giving parents more tools is key.” These tools include requiring parental permission for minors to have social media accounts, options for parents to adjust the amount of time their children can use social media, and options for when a child has been victimized. It includes the ability for parents to file complaints and lawsuits,” said Amy Winder Newton, who heads Utah’s relatively new Office of Family Policy.
She said she has worked with lawmakers and researchers to understand the risks social media poses to young people and what policy changes can help curb those risks.
potential danger
At the Teen Mental Health and Technology Conference in Salt Lake City in January, Cox said research has linked social media and its platforms to poorer mental health, including anxiety, depression, and self-harm. He pointed out that he was doing so. He said he was very concerned about the impact not only on children but also on adults.
Cox said Hite, Wilcox and Twenge’s report informed some of his concerns as he sat down with state officials to review the data and try to come up with a legal solution. Especially recognized. It didn’t take long for other state legislators to step up and offer their support, identifying potential solutions for Utah, he said.
Mr Wilcox provided some of his research into the problems social media platforms are contributing to, as well as offering “a lot of ideas” and discussions with Winder Newton, who takes on the role of head of family policy. I did it. Wilcox, a contributor to the Deseret News, also participated in a day-long technology and mental health summit. The visit also included a meeting with Teuscher and McKell, who “passed the baton and introduced legislation” during the 2023 legislative session, Wilcox told the Deseret News.
Mr. Haidt is Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business. In testimony before a Senate Judiciary Committee subcommittee last May, he said the youth mental health crisis exploded in the early 2010s, when social media was gaining traction. We found a link between poorer mental health in young people and social media, but how strong that link is considered to be depends on who you ask.
“Correlations, experiments, and eyewitness accounts show that social media is the main cause of the crisis. I don’t think social media is the only cause of the crisis, but the suddenness, enormity, and “There are no alternative hypotheses that can explain the international similarities,” Hite told state lawmakers. “Researchers and major platform spokespeople who say the evidence is ‘inconclusive’ or the effect size is ‘too small’ should directly ask, ‘Okay, so what do you think is causing this?’ ” he said.
Among other remarks, Cox called SB152 and HB311 “first-of-its-kind legislation in the nation” and said the Beehive State is “leading this effort.” Cox said the new rules will “significantly change children’s relationship with these highly destructive social media apps.”
Both laws go into effect in March 2024, and while critics and supporters alike anticipate some legal challenges, Cox said he is confident the laws will pass in the courts. Ta.
Others are less sure.
“It’s a big First Amendment problem to condition these rights on prior parental consent,” Chicago First Amendment attorney Ali Cohn recently told Kyle Dunphy of the Deseret News. . “Minors have First Amendment rights that are restricted in more situations than adults, but still only in very narrow circumstances.” He noted that this is one area where they differ.
After the Utah bill passed, Common Sense Media issued a statement supporting HB311, calling it “a huge victory for Utah’s children and families.” “This legislation builds momentum for other states to hold social media companies accountable for ensuring that children across the country are protected online,” the law said, urging other states to follow suit. .
But the group argued that signing SB152 is disappointing because giving parents access to all messages and posts “deprives children of the online privacy protections we advocate for.” .
Mr. Wilcox disagrees.
“We’re thrilled that Utah has taken a pioneering role in empowering parents to oversee their teens’ technology lives. “It is clear that many teenagers, especially teenage girls, are suffering from anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts as a result of the effects of this,” he said.
“It’s great to see you all recognizing this new challenge facing teens and their families and taking a key leadership role in enacting legislation to help parents protect their children.”
Will it continue?
The governor predicts other states will follow Utah’s lead and create their own legal restrictions on social media, and he hopes there will be bipartisan support.
Cox said both Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) and President Joe Biden are interested in federal legislation to address concerns around social media. There is “general agreement” between both Democrats and Republicans.
However, even the bill’s strongest supporters do not claim that it will solve all problems related to social media. Rather, the bill’s supporters call it a tool for parents.
“I think these bills are a big step in the right direction, especially regarding restrictions on social media use at night for teenagers,” said Twenge, author of the book “iGen.” (The book’s subtitle is “Why today’s highly connected children are growing up less rebellious, more tolerant, less happy, and completely unprepared for adulthood. Why not? And what does that mean for the rest of us?”
She told the Deseret News, “Not getting enough sleep is a major risk factor for mental health problems, and many teens are on social media late into the night. I’m not getting enough sleep,” he said. I’m glad we’re finally starting to see more regulation of social media, especially for children and teens. It’s long overdue, especially considering that even before the pandemic, depression among teens had doubled between 2011 and 2019, and it’s precisely because social media use has become increasingly popular among teens. It was a time when ”
Research your concerns
Wilcox said his interest in the issue really began in 2019, when he and Michael Toscano, executive director of the Institute for the Study of Family Studies, spoke in Richmond, Virginia, about the issues facing American families. He said that was when he was talking to his parents. “Many mothers in particular expressed concerns about the impact smartphones have on teenagers,” Wilcox said.
Over time, several reports have been published on this topic. They include a recent report by Wilcox, Twenge and others in collaboration with the institute and the Center for Ethics and Public Policy to address the challenges of teens and technology. It lists five ideas that the nation should pursue. Winder-Newton said the report “helps provide suggestions on how to protect teenagers.”
Louisiana has paved the way for the age-restricted portion of the new rules, requiring pornographic websites to verify the age of people who want to view their content.
Wilcox said he was invited to Utah to discuss ideas with the governor and some lawmakers, noting that Winder Newton was tasked with developing family-friendly legislation and concerns about youth and social media. It was pointed out that they were in excellent agreement. He described Utah as a “particularly family-friendly” state and said the bill builds on the state’s strengths in this area.
“Brad was great at bouncing ideas off of us,” Winder-Newton said in an email. “As we consider social media laws, we consider efforts by other states and countries, suggest best practices from experts, and speak with hundreds of parents and youth to understand the barriers Utah faces.” We found that Governor Cox is not someone who will just stand idly by as young people’s mental health continues to decline. …He wants to accomplish something meaningful. And we did it.”
Like the tobacco bill
Wilcox expects there will be some implementation issues when the law takes effect next year. “Utah will be leading the way in learning,” he said.
He likens the process to tackling the dangers of tobacco 30 years ago, when states and cities first passed laws banning smoking in restaurants and other public places.
Wilcox believes it’s important to accept the harm that social media can do to young people. “There are various ways to keep children from getting lost in the electronic world and being emotionally thrown overboard. I call them electronic opiates. They are It’s often quite addictive. People end up losing hours on some form of electronic entertainment.”
Young people are afraid of missing out and may not exercise or socialize while glued to a small screen. Social media can also create or amplify body image insecurities in young women, she said.
In some ways, this concern is similar to concerns expressed in the past about spending large amounts of time watching television, but to a much greater degree. Even though the TV sits in the corner of the living room, people carry their smartphones everywhere, Wilcox said. He uses the word “ubiquitous” to describe them.