Impact of Social Media on Children
Social media is a very powerful force. Social media can impact children psychologically and emotionally and can influence their decisions on a daily basis. Many people do not understand the amount of power social media has over the world. Many people rely on social media to get through the day.
This is further enhanced by applications such as Facebook or TikTok, which have taken the world by storm. Being able to see videos from other people and being able to relate and find humor out of the videos they watch. However, Florida Governor Ron De Santis wants to make an immediate, possibly restrictive, change.
Ron De Santis Signs a Major Bill
Florida Governor Ron De Santis has officially signed a bill which prevents children 14 and under from having access to social media. This means that these children will not have access to applications such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and more. In order to ensure that no child is is granted access to these applications, age verification is a process that must be completed.
However, 14 and 15-year-olds are granted access to social media only with parental consent. Anyone above that age is freely given access to social media. In addition to the restriction of social media, there is also a strict restriction to pornographic websites.
The Future of This Bill
Many people in Florida are angered with this decision, including the children themselves. Many feel that this is a violation of their first amendment rights and will surely make it known to the government that they do not approve this bill whatsoever. However, there are parents that are completely in favor of this bill.
They feel that this is a great first step to ensure children are protected from the evils in the world. Therefore, this particular bill can be both restrictive, but can also be a step in the right direction. There have been other states that have introduced a bill similar to this one but were blocked because of potential amendment violations.
There are several different arguments for whether or not this is a very restrictive, violative bill, or if it is a bill that should have been passed a while ago.
Written by David Loran Jr
Sources:
CNN News: Florida governor signs law restricting social media access for children
AP News: Florida’s DeSantis signs one of the country’s most restrictive social media bans for minors
Featured Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of magicatwork’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
