Protecting Kids from Addictive Social Media

Social media use is increasingly affiliated with mental health issues and very real dangers for our young people. Given the rise in popularity of social media, Senate Republicans have been working hard to protect young Hoosiers from the dangers of the addictive features that social media platforms use.

During the 2026 legislative session, the General Assembly passed House Enrolled Act 1408, which restricts children younger than 16 from setting up social media accounts unless their parents or guardians give consent.

HEA 1408 doesn't ban children from using social media, but gives parents and guardians control of their child's access to it. If parental consent is given to create an account, certain addictive features will be disabled.

Right now, big tech companies are making money off children that are addicted to their platforms. This leads to mental health issues in children associated with using social media. Study after study shows this correlation, and it's time to fix that.

HEA 1408 also implements safety restrictions for child accounts like:

• Disabling "like" counts;
• Preventing the account from being searched by anyone who is not their friend;
• Only allowing friends to send messages to the account; and
• Prohibiting the site from using the child's social media history and habits to determine the content they see.

Social media sites must also use reasonable efforts to determine the age of people who already have accounts on an ongoing basis.

Any social media site that violates this law is subject to fines under Indiana's Deceptive Consumer Sales Act.

This legislation is merely a starting point as Senate Republicans continue to find ways to ensure Hoosier children are safe everywhere – whether that’s at school, at home, online or anywhere else.