Author: Alex

WASHINGTON–U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) introduced the Kids Off Social Media Act, bipartisan legislation to keep kids off social media and help protect them from its harmful impacts. The bill would establish a minimum age of 13 for social media use and prohibit platforms from feeding algorithmically-targeted content to users under the age of 17.

“Everyone knows how harmful social media can be to kids. As a parent, I’ve seen firsthand how these platforms use intentionally addictive algorithms to spoon-feed young people horrifying content glorifying everything from suicide to eating disorders. Yet these companies have proven they will choose profits over the wellbeing of our kids unless we force them to do otherwise. This bipartisan legislation will finally hold social media companies accountable,” said Murphy.

“There is no good reason for a nine-year-old to be on Instagram or Snapchat. The growing evidence is clear: social media is making kids more depressed, more anxious, and more suicidal. Yet tech companies refuse to anything about it because it would hurt their bottom line. This is an urgent health crisis, and Congress must act with the boldness and urgency it demands,” said Schatz. “Protecting kids online is not a partisan issue, and our bipartisan coalition – which includes several parents of kids and teenagers – represents the millions of parents across the country who’ve long been asking for help.”

“Every parent I know is concerned about the online threats to kids—from predators to videos promoting self-harm, risky behavior, or low self-esteem. Many families have suffered due to Big Tech’s failure to take responsibility for its products. The Kids Off Social Media Act addresses these issues by supporting families in crisis and empowering teachers to better manage their classrooms. I am proud to work with Senator Schatz on this bipartisan legislation to combat the harms social media poses to children, especially in schools. As Chairman of the Commerce Committee, I am confident we can swiftly move this legislation and similar measures through committee and urge Congress to heed the calls of parents everywhere by delivering this bill to President Trump’s desk to help protect America’s youth,” said Cruz.

“There’s no doubt our country is in the throes of a mental health crisis, and the rise of social media usage among children and teenagers is inextricably tied to this issue,” said Britt. “As a mom, this is something my own kids and their friends have to contend with every day. And as a Senator, I know our nation has to contend with it to safeguard the next generation. Putting in place commonsense guardrails that protect our kids from the dangers of social media is critical for their future and America’s future. I’m committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to put parents in the driver’s seat and enact commonsense, age-appropriate solutions to tackle this generational challenge.”

No age demographic is more affected by the ongoing mental health crisis in the United States than kids, especially young girls. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 57 percent of high school girls and 29 percent of high school boys felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021, with 22 percent of all high school students—and nearly a third of high school girls—reporting they had seriously considered attempting suicide in the preceding year.

Studies have shown a strong relationship between social media use and poor mental health, especially among children. From 2019 to 2021, overall screen use among teens and tweens (ages 8 to 12) increased by 17 percent, with tweens using screens for five hours and 33 minutes per day and teens using screens for eight hours and 39 minutes. Based on the clear and growing evidence, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory in 2023, calling for new policies to set and enforce age minimums and highlighting the importance of limiting the use of features, like algorithms, that attempt to maximize time, attention, and engagement.

Specifically, the Kids Off Social Media Act would:

1. Prohibit social media platforms from allowing children under the age of 13 to create or maintain social media accounts;
2. Prohibit social media companies from pushing targeted content using algorithms to users under the age of 17;
3. Provide the FTC and state attorneys general authority to enforce the provisions of the bill; and
4. Follow existing CIPA framework, with changes, to require schools to work in good faith to limit social media on their federally-funded networks, which many schools already do.

Parents overwhelmingly support the mission of the Kids Off Social Media Act. A survey conducted by Count on Mothers shows that over 90 percent of mothers agree that there should be a minimum age of 13 for social media. Additionally, 87 percent of mothers agree that social media companies should not be allowed to use personalized recommendation systems to deliver content to children. Pew finds similar levels of concern from parents, reporting that 70 percent or more of parents worry that their teens are being exposed to explicit content or wasting too much time on social media, with two-thirds of parents saying that parenting is harder today compared to 20 years ago—and many of them cited social media as a contributing factor.

U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Angus King (I-Maine), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and John Curtis (R-Utah) also cosponsored the legislation.

The Kids Off Social Media Act is supported by Public Citizen, National Organization for Women, National Association of Social Workers, National League for Nursing, National Association of School Nurses, KidsToo, Count on Mothers, American Federation of Teachers, American Counseling Association, National Federation of Families, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Parents Television and Media Council, Tyler Clementi Foundation, Parents Who Fight, Conservative Ladies of America, David’s Legacy Foundation, Digital Progress, HAS Coalition, Parents Defending Education Action, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker today announced that the Connecticut State Department of Education has issued a guidance document to every K-12 public school district in Connecticut in response to questions regarding the impact that recent changes in policy guidance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security pertaining to immigration enforcement activities may have on school operations, student privacy, and the safeguarding of students while in school.

Both Connecticut and federal law protect a student’s right to attend public school, regardless of their immigration status. This guidance is intended to provide school districts and their governing bodies with an overview of state and federal laws pertaining to student rights and the responsibilities of school districts, and assure districts, students, and families that Connecticut is welcoming to all students. It is also intended to provide districts with a framework for the development of policies and procedures that protect student rights, consistent with state and federal laws.

“Our schools are primarily places for learning and growth. It is important for our students and families to feel welcome and protected by their schools so educators can focus on teaching and students can focus on learning,” Governor Lamont said. “To achieve this, we are supporting our school leaders in developing procedures that prioritize the protection of students and their information to the fullest extent permitted by the law.”

“Students are at their best when they are in school, fully engaged in learning, and feeling safe and supported by their school community,” Commissioner Russell-Tucker said. “This guidance is designed to help school districts develop policies and procedures that are clear and aligned with state and federal law, while ensuring all students feel welcome in their classrooms.”