Teens are becoming increasingly lonely, depressed, anxious, and suicidal. Louisiana Sen. Patrick McMath, who personally values online safety as the father of four young children, added social media restrictions to state law that he thought would help.
His law would require people under 16 to get their parents’ permission before opening a social media account, among other things. The bill was signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards late last month and is scheduled to go into effect in July 2024.
“We are facing a serious mental health crisis in this country, and this bill is a small part of that by giving parents a few more tools in their toolbox to navigate complex algorithms. It’s an attempt to cope,” said Covington’s McMath. the Republican lawmaker said during a Congressional hearing in April.
The law would also ban adults from sending messages to children they are not friends with on apps, and ban social media companies from collecting broad personal information about minors. Ads can be displayed, but they are generally not based on data or personal information collected from adults.
Get the morning headlines delivered to your inbox
It’s part of a nationwide movement to address an online world that critics say has few guardrails for users, including children.
Another law went into effect in Louisiana this year that requires porn sites to verify the age of their users. Many other states have proposed similar laws to crack down on children’s free access to the web.
Utah, for example, is taking its laws further. It requires parental consent for those under 18, bans addictive design features, and prohibits minors from using social media between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.
McMath’s original bill had a similar provision for parental discretion, but it was ultimately removed.
McMath’s signature on the proposal would strengthen U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s May recommendation urging action from policymakers and social media companies.
“We are in the midst of a national youth mental health crisis, and we are concerned that social media is a key factor in that crisis and must be addressed with urgency.” Dr. Marcy said.
There is a consensus that something must be done to address the mental health of teens. But there is even more disagreement as to what it is.
Research that social media is responsible for increased mental health problems in children is inconclusive, and some believe parental consent laws like Louisiana’s are not the right way to address online harm. .
Eileen Lee, an attorney who specializes in children’s online privacy, said the data privacy and direct message provisions in the Louisiana law are a step in the right direction, but the parental consent part could be harmful.
Lee, a policy consultant at children’s media nonprofit Common Sense Media, said these measures, “coupled with the parental consent approach, are something we remain concerned about and are likely to do more harm than good.” I think it could have a negative impact.” safety.
“Once parents consent to their children’s access to the internet, they will have access to the same powerful design features they have always had,” he says, as social media companies make their sites addictive. Lee said, referring to the algorithmic tools he uses to
McMath said his bill would keep more children away from harmful content.
“The introduction of age verification and restrictions does not limit freedom of expression or impede digital literacy,” McMath said at a public hearing in April. He said: “It’s about taking proactive steps to ensure the safety and well-being of children in an ever-evolving digital environment.”
“Age restrictions are not a new concept,” McMath said, citing restrictions on movies, video games and other media. “It’s time to extend this protection to the online world,” he said.
Under the new law, social media companies must either apply under-16 considerations to all accounts or verify the age of all users in Louisiana. Age verification can raise “very alarming” privacy concerns, Lee said, adding that porn sites require Louisianans to provide government ID to prove their adult status to comply with state law. He said some civil liberties groups raised the issue when he began asking for presentations.
Although there may eventually be reliable, privacy-preserving ways to verify a user’s identity, “we’re not yet at the point where we’re trying to use it on such a large scale,” he said. I think so,” Lee said.
“Even if a company says, ‘We’ll take your own ID or we’ll use something like a facial scan and delete that information right after that,’ of course consumers won’t You might still feel a little unsure about whether to do it or not, and that’s not true,” Lee said.
McMath said he is confident the technology will catch up with age verification needs.
“As technology advances, we will be able to develop more effective age verification methods that protect children without violating their rights,” he said at a hearing in April.
Another element of the debate is pinpointing the extent to which social media is responsible for young people’s mental health problems.
Although there is some evidence that social media has played a role in the rise in mental health problems among teenagers over the past decade, the problem is often the teenagers themselves and their It’s a question of how people use social media platforms, said Jacqueline Neci, a psychologist and researcher at Brown University. The impact of social media on adolescents’ mental health.
“Mental health concerns and the trends we’re seeing can be driven by a variety of factors,” Nesi said. “…Social media may be one of them, but I don’t think it’s likely to be the only culprit.”
For some teens, Nesi said, social media “can interfere” with activities that are important for mental health, such as in-person socializing, going out, sleeping and exercising.
Social media can also expose children and teens to harmful content, from posts promoting self-harm and eating disorders to hate speech and bullying, Nesi said.
“There’s a lot of content out there that’s not good for young people to watch, and it’s certainly a risk,” Nesi said.
While social media can have a negative impact on young people, some research shows it has benefits, such as allowing young people to explore their identities and interests, Nesi said.
“One of the biggest (benefits) is just the opportunity for social connection. That’s especially true for young people who may be marginalized in many ways in their offline lives, including LGBTQ youth.” Nesi said.
While the parental consent and age verification aspects of Louisiana law are controversial, steps are being taken to ensure data privacy and prevent children from receiving messages from adults they don’t know. , said Lee.
“We’re fans of design features that put more burden on the platform or basically make it the default, so that parents don’t have to think about and think about ‘how to do it.’ “Can I change the settings so that adults can’t interact with my child?” said Lee.
A common thread that emerges from discussions about social media policy is that we want tech companies to take on the responsibility of protecting users, not burdening parents.
“Parents…play an important role in monitoring their children’s online activities, but they cannot be expected to shoulder this responsibility alone,” McMath said, in a step toward holding social media companies accountable. constructed the law.
Nesi agreed that the burden of online safety should not fall solely on parents, and that “tech companies themselves can take steps to make their platforms safer and healthier for young users.” ing. But for parents seeking good habits for their teens online, Nesi has some recommendations.
He said parents should communicate openly with their children about social media by asking “a lot of questions” and sharing the risks and benefits. You can also set reasonable limits on the amount of time your teen spends on social media and the content they view.
It’s also important for parents to model healthy habits in their own social media use.
“We know that parents’ own relationships with social media are very important to teens and how they come to use social media,” she said. Ta.