State Bans Social Media Use for Youths Under 16 – Are New England States Next?

Last week, Florida lawmakers moved a bill forward that would prohibit social media use for teens under the age of 16.

There is 100% a social media crisis going on in the United States.

Social media has gone from a way to connect with people who are not in your close proximity to a platform filled with cyberbullying, dopamine distractions, and false expectations specifically for youths.

"The bill passed the Florida house with a bipartisan 106-13 vote and now heads to the Republican-controlled senate...", according to a Guardian article. "The measure prohibits anyone under 16 from creating a new social media account and requires platforms to delete existing accounts held by minors who are younger than 16."

Florida is not the first state to do something like this.

"Last year, Utah became the first state in the country to ban people under 18 from using social media without consent from a guardian," according to the Guardian. "The state also prohibits minors from using a social media account from 10.30pm to 6.30am."

Is this something that we could see in New England? Maybe. But do we WANT these limitations in New England states?

The world seems divided. On one hand, you have people who think social media is the devil. That it is a home for bullying and a false sense of happiness.

“These dopamine hits [from social media] are so addictive, it’s like a digital fentanyl,” Fiona McFarland, a Republican state lawmaker who cosponsored the legislation, said on the house floor on Wednesday, according to Politico. “And even the most plugged-in parent or attuned teen has a hard time shutting the door against these addictive features.”

The other side is that it limits parental rights to raise your child how you want. Further, some say that social media does have some good.

"Young people turn to the Internet to learn about their community, to be able to see people like them," said Maxx Fenning, the executive director of PRISM, a LGBTQ+ organization for young people in South Florida, according to a WPTV News article. "So we're especially concerned about further restrictions being placed in that regard."

What do you think? Should this be enforced in New England?