Florida Law to Prohibit Youth Under 16 from Using Social Media

To protect the mental health and safety of kids, state lawmakers are moving ahead with a first-of-its-kind proposal that would reshape how nearly every Floridian uses the internet.

Kids under 16 would be forbidden from being on social media. And every Floridian who wants to use social media would have to submit some sort of ID, or submit to a facial scan, to prove their age. Source

If this becomes law, approved by the courts, and proves to be enforceable, a great service will have been done for the present and generations to come.

Governor DeSantis speaks to the issue in a video.

Why is social media bad for children? It’s not just Tik-Tok, it’s more.

In my opinion, social media promotes views and values that can be detrimental to the welfare of an unsophisticated teen. Pew Research has asked parents about their concerns, which are diverse and serious. Source

When it comes to changing culture and the speed at which it occurs, messages on social media have probably no greater influence. Things can go viral in a matter of minutes. Gang robberies are arranged via social media. Mobs gather as a result of social media. There is little way to correct misinformation, false information, and destructive ideas on social media. A teenager’s brain is not developed enough to deal with the lure and power of a post that can eventually lead a person into deeper and deeper explicit material.

I have no faith in what the courts might do with this legislation or with the legislation of other states moving in the same direction. If this were to fail in the courts, I hope the initiators of this legislation will not give up but continue striving to correct this problem in our culture.

Our children are our greatest assets and, at the same time, most vulnerable to the evil in our culture.

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