'It's not going away': Local psychologist weighs in on proposal to ban kids from social media
SACRAMENTO - Whether fascinated by Facebook or taken with Twitter, kids could get the boot from social media.
Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced a bill banning children under 16 years of age from using social media. Hawley says big tech companies are neglecting children's health and monetizing their personal information. The U.S. Surgeon General says kids aged 13 and younger shouldn't even be on social media.
"This skewed, and often distorted environment of social media often does a disservice to many of those children," said Dr. Vivek Murthy.
The legislation would require social media companies to verify the person's age before allowing them to make an account, forcing them to provide a government-issued ID showing their name and birth date.
"First, it's not going away. And I think trying to control it is in some ways is inviting more use of it," said Sacramento psychologist Diane Powell.
Dr. Powell says, if anything, it should prompt parents to monitor what their kids are doing on social media. A new CDC report revealed 57% of teen girls felt sad or hopeless in 2021, up from 36% in 2011. Sixteen percent of teens were bullied online. And while the findings didn't explicitly link social media use to increasing depression, the alarming increase coincides with more and more using it.
"Well, there are positives to social media, it's not all bad news," said Dr. Powell. "But I think it's a great opportunity for parents to get involved with their youngsters and their use of social media.
Dr. Powell suggests monitoring what your child reads and posts on social media and warning them that you will. She also recommends limiting their time on social media and encouraging face-to-face interaction with their friends instead.
