A bill required for parental consent for 14 and 15-year-olds and prohibiting children under 14 from using social media sites has been passed. This has been signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The law requires social media companies to delete accounts of users under the ages of 14 and 16. This is because Social media can cause hazardous effects on the mind of these childrens.
On January 1, 2025, the modified bill will go into effect and permit parents to give their older children permission to use social media.It will lessen the effects that social media has on kids’ mental health, which can result in mental diseases like anxiety and depression. DeSantis rejected the law, which sought to shield kids from the negative impacts of social media on their mental health.
Children’s mental health has been negatively impacted by social media, which has been linked to mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Opponents claim that the bill goes against the First Amendment’s guarantees of free expression in the United States Constitution and that parents should have the last say over their children’s internet persona.
The law’s opponent, Meta, the parent corporation of Facebook and Instagram, claims it will restrict parental discretion and create privacy issues with data.
The social media platforms that encourage “infinite scrolling,” show reaction metrics, have videos that automatically play, allow live streaming, and provide push alerts are the focus of the bill. Websites and applications that primarily allow users to send and receive emails, messages, or texts would be excluded.
