Florida: Children Banned from Social Media
Written by Ariel Newbold on March 26, 2024
Kids in Florida are about to have a lot more time on their hands.
On Monday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that bans all children under the age of 14 from having any social media accounts. Florida residents who are 14 or 15 will need a parent’s permission to join a platform.
The bill also tasks social media companies with deleting existing accounts for kids in the state under 14. If the companies fail to do so, they could be sued on behalf of the minor and be forced to pay up to $10,000. The bill is slated to go into effect in January 2025.
DeSantis says the bill is part of the state’s efforts to regulate social media use among minors. At the bill-signing ceremony on Monday, he said, “Ultimately, [we’re] trying to help parents navigate this very difficult terrain that we have now with raising kids.”
Ohio and Arkansas have also enacted similar laws, and those laws have been challenged by NetChoiceLLC, a coalition of social media companies. NetChoiceLLC says the law is a violation of First Amendment rights. DeSantis says the law has nothing to do with limiting speech, but everything to do with protecting children. (NBC News)
Hot Takes:
- The bill will obviously face legal challenges when it comes to enforcement. This generation of kids will find a way around this “ban” before we can say 1, 2, 3.
- Some parents are loving this idea, while others are wondering what their kids are going to do all day if they can’t stare at their phones. Remembers when kids played outdoors…?
- There’s plenty of scientific evidence to support the theory that social media has a negative effect on young children. What do you think?