Today with unanimous bipartisan support, the Senate passed a bill authored by Senator Michael Kreun (R-Blaine) that seeks to protect children from the harms of addictive social media. 

 

This bill creates a new law that requires parental consent for children under 16 to open an account on large social media platforms. For those children who gain parental consent to open an account, this bill prohibits the most addictive features of the platforms, restricts targeted advertising, and increases privacy.

 

“We are in the midst of a public health crisis that is affecting the mental and physical health of so many kids across the state, and it’s something we must address for the safety of everyone,” said Kreun. “I authored this bill because I believe it’s very important that we address this problem with commonsense safeguards that keep our kids safe when engaging with addictive social media.”

 

According to the Minnesota Family Council, a staggering 95% of youth ages 13-17 report they are on social media, with 97% also reporting cell phone use during the school day.

 

“Kids and parents alike have shown resounding support for these measures – they are asking for our help. Adolescents often report that social media makes them feel worse about their body image, oftentimes experiencing severe cyberbullying that leads to detrimental long-term effects. Kids do not need unfettered access to platforms that treat them as a product to profit from. For the well-being of kids and parents, I’m glad we could get this bipartisan bill to the finish line,” finished Kreun.