CLEVELAND — Governor Mike DeWine and state officials are proposing legislation in an effort to protect the youth from the harmful effects of social media.
Candace LaRochelle is a mother of 2 that, just like many parents, got her oldest daughter a cell phone. She continuously fears the impacts social media could have on her child.
“It’s scary...no matter how much you do as a parent to put on these phones and set up these controls, you still feel like you're leaving your child potentially vulnerable to things that they should not see,” said Larochelle.
For Crystal Mcneily, that fear became a reality when a friend of her daughter was part of a sextortion case. They were in a grocery store when naked photos of her daughter's friend ended up on her phone. That friend was James Woods, who later died by suicide last November.
“Not only did she have to live with losing her friend, but seeing him in a position that she wouldn't want to see any of her friends,” said Mcneily.
Situations like James's are what led DeWine and officials to propose the Social Media Parental Notification Act.
“Social media is largely seen as a place for connecting and socializing by today's youth and teens, and as any activity that can be used for good, it can also have concerns and be dangerous as well,” said Lori Criss, the Director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
The legislation would require social media companies to create a way to tell if the user is 16 and under. If they are under-aged, they must require parental or legal guardian consent. Then the consent confirmation must be sent to the parent in writing.
“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 Tony Coder, the Executive Director Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation.
Social media plays a big role for many teens. A 2018 Pew Research Center survey found that 45% of teens are online almost constantly, and 97% use a social media platform, such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat.
A Mayo Clinic survey reported that 12 to 15-year-olds who spent more than three hours a day using social media could be at higher risk for mental health problems.
“We can think of it like a warning label, like cigarettes have and alcohol has, and it's an alert so that parents think about social media differently — as potentially dangerous,” said Criss.
LaRochelle and Mcneily both believe social media is affecting their kids.
“Like our kids — it's nonstop. Whatever is happening, whatever they see is like a nonstop barrage, and their brains aren't developed enough to be able to handle that,” said LaRochelle.
“It’s scary. I mean, anybody can have access to my kid, even if they're private, like anybody,” said Mcneily.
They both say that restrictions are a step forward in the right direction.
“I think it should be regulated, and I’m not opposed to — children should just not be on it,” said LaRochelle.
The governor also says that social media companies need to be held accountable. A part of the plan is to also work with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and teens to find more ways to address the challenges of social media.
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