COLUMBUS, Ohio — According to a recent PEW research study, around 95% of teenagers are on at least one social media platform.
What You Need To Know
- Last month the U.S. surgeon general released a public warning against social media
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports suicide as the second leading cause of death among children and young adults ages 10-24
- Gov. Mike Dewine introduced the Social Media Parental Notification Act
- The proposal would require social media companies to get approval from parents in order for children sixteen and younger to access certain social media platforms
In a recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide was found as the second leading cause of death among children and young adults ages 10-24. Research has shown that there is a correlation between increased use of social media and increased numbers of adolescents experiencing depression and anxiety.
This has led Gov. Mike DeWine to introduce the Social Media Parental Notification Act.
“Parents, sadly, are not always aware of what their children are seeing and what they’re doing online, and children are online a lot,” said DeWine.
The proposal in the budget would require social media companies to get approval from parents in order for children sixteen and younger to access certain social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
The companies would have to find a way to verify a child’s age or verify the parents’ identity. Tony Coder, with the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, works with grieving families every day, but one in particular sticks with him. A young teenage boy took his life after being cyberbullied.
“He went to his room and put out on his own social media, ‘I’m giving anyone 30 minutes to let me know they care, and if they don’t, then I’m not going to be around anymore,’ asking and begging for someone to care,” said Coder at the press conference where DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, introduced the new social media proposal.
Coder said the proposal would give families the chance to have more insight into what their children are posting and give them time to address the problem before it’s too late.
“This is the impetus of this action, not to prohibit, not to censor, but instead to give parents a chance to know what’s going on with their children’s social media and the platforms that they’re using,” said Coder.
In the 2024-2025 budget, DeWine allocated more than $160 million to mental health, including more mental health facilities and suicide prevention strategies.
