And now it is time for our three cents on the
future topic of today, social media and kids.
So there's this new federal bill
out there that aims to protect
kids and get them off social me.
So lawmakers are looking into
address that and what mental heh
advocates and critics of the teh
platform say is a mental health crisis
that's been fueled by social me.
So the question of course is whether or
not it's actually fueled by social media.
Some argue that this bill is long overdue.
You many believe that social me,
though, is just an easy target,
and that these efforts don't rey
focus on the actual issue at ha.
Now we know it is so complex.
So before we give you our three cents,
let's take a closer look at what's in the
bill and why some tech accountability
advocates say it falls short.
Here's Ivan Rodriguez now
with some of those details,
a bipartisan group of senators
unveiling legislation this week.
That would establish 13 as the
national minimum age for social
media use and create strict
standards for verifying A user's age.
Making young people
feel the very ways
that we as parents
and as a society don't want theo
feel is built into the business model.
The proposed bill also requires
parental consent for users aged 13 to
17 and bans tech platforms from using
teens personal information to tt
them with content or advertisin.
Social media companies have a dy
to help keep kids safe and pares
informed or face serious consequences.
Lawmakers say the legislation is in line
with guidance from the US Surgeon General.
The skewed and often distorted
environment of social media often does
it disservice to many of those children.
Senator Richard Blumenthal is working on
a separate bill to address the problem and
says he has concerns about this version.
Tech accountability advocates agree the
bill is focused on the wrong is.
This bill doesn't actually put.
Any responsibility onto the tech companies.
Instead, it's putting more
responsibility onto parents and
young people to kind of self po.
Nicole Gill with the nonprofit A Cannibal
Tech argues launch and incentivize tech
companies to redesign their platforms
to protect mental health and privacy.
We have an opportunity right now
to rethink the way that these
platforms work for young people
and we should take it.
I'm Ivan Rodriguez reporting.
Okay. Lots to dive into there.
Yeah. Well, the real quick.
The guy behind this bill said the way
to get kids to linger on the platforms
and to maximize profit is to upset them,
make them outrage, make them agitated,
make them scared, make them vulnerable,
make them feel helpless.
So the addiction factor to social media,
the algorithms to our kids, I,
I kind of look at how smoking ws
handled back in the 50s with nicotine.
Being addictive, right?
Things had to change.
The ebb and flow of the guidelines and
what was allowed and what wasn't allowed.
As we learned more as time went,
right We're learning more.
As time has gone on with social media
and the harmful effects on our ,
is it time to?
Put forth the bill that that
sets an age limit and it's 13,
the right number.
I don't know whether that's the the issue,
but I know it's affecting our
kids and it's harming them and
something needs to be done.
I also
think that the verification pros
is really important because so ,
you know, when I was making a Facebook
or a Twitter or whatever it was.
You there were no verification
requirements on your age.
You put your birthday and now
you have a Twitter account.
So if they're actually going
to be checking say, ID's,
that's a whole different situat.
Are you 13 and you submit your
ID to Twitter to get an account?
Are parents actually going to bn
top of that or are you going toe
a handful of kids that are follg
it and then a handful of kids tt
are not that are 11 with a Face.
And I mean right now I think because there
are so many kids who have Instagram accounts,
I mean I'm surprised to see.
8-9 year olds with Instagram
accounts and it says, you know,
my parents are in charge of this account,
but still, I mean, they could b,
I don't know, going into their messages,
messaging, Yeah, yeah.
And to at least be able to say,
hey kids, you can't have this,
it's the law now might give parents that,
like ability.
I mean, parents should be able o
tell their kids whatever they w,
but at some point it's the law.
No, you're not going to get this
until way later in life when yoe
more mature because their brains are.
Still adjust totally and how muh
time they're on there is a prob.
In fact
one of the studies they looked t
50 students and there were kids
that were spending 3 to 4 hours
a day on average. Some spending
so much time on there
and that's just your phone verss
that's just computer screen,
too much time, the TV.
And that can just add up so muc.
So yeah, I mean I think obviousy
if I were a parent I would want
to limit my kids access to it.
I do remember of course being a
teenager and wanting to spend me
time on the computer and on my phone,
but and parents say no and you
listen and that's the jungle.
But now sometimes legally they have to
get involved or make it more of a limit.
See what happens with this bill.
And we will be following the next steps
in the process here and whether3
year olds will have to pass stricter.
Tests and won't be allowed on h.