HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut lawmakers are trying to pass legislation in Congress that aims to protect kids on social media.
Under the proposal, users 16 and under would need parental consent to sign up.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal is among those urging Congress to pass this legislation ahead of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing set for Tuesday.
He said steps need to be taken to protect kids from mental health struggles associated with social media.
The legislation called the Kids Online Safety Act would require kids 16 years old and younger to get parental consent before they're allowed to use social media platforms.
Common apps for kids are Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, among others.
The legislation would also allow parents to block certain algorithms from their kids' platforms, so they wouldn't be exposed to certain content that could be harmful.
Similar legislation was proposed last year, however last year the bill died, although it had unanimous support from the Children’s Committee.
Unlike last year, this year the bill is heading to the General Law Committee.
Supporters said the bill is aimed at helping children’s mental health, saying while social media has benefits, it can negatively impact kids and teens.
Blumenthal is leading the charge for the Kids Online Safety Act.
He said there is a teenage mental health crisis in America.
"Lives are destroyed, children lost literally to suicide, eating disorders, bullying online and parents unable to have any tools to protect their kids," he said.
He said over the past decade, suicide rates and hospital visits for self-harm have doubled in younger teen girls.
Blumenthal said social media platforms play a role in that, giving false body image impressions or fueling online bullying.
However, some experts agree that more has to be done to protect kids online, but parental consent may not help fix the problem.
"I’m definitely a fan of thinking critically about how we’re letting young students and young people use the internet and I think it’s really important to teach them digital literacy," said Melissa Whitson, a professor of psychology and a licensed psychologist at the University of New Haven. "Everybody needs parental consent and kids are smart, they might find a way around that, so I’m not sure how they’ll enforce that."
The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing is happening on Tuesday where Blumenthal expects to present this proposal.
Lindsey Kane is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at Lkane@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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