By State Sen. Jeff Raatz
I think we can all agree how important it is to protect kids and ensure they have good mental health.
Social media has shown time and time again the negative impact it has on kids' mental health. According to the American College Health Association, diagnoses of students with anxiety disorder have gone up 134% and depression diagnoses have risen 106% since 2010.
Not only does social media have a negative impact on youth mental health, but it also puts them in danger of interacting with bad actors who wish to harm them. The tragic loss of Hailey Buzbee demonstrates that Indiana needs to act to protect Hoosier kids.
That is why I worked with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to add an amendment to Senate Bill 199 that would block children younger than 16 from setting up social media accounts unless their parents or guardians give consent.
If a parent allows their son or daughter to open a social media account, the social media platform must turn off certain addictive features.
Social media platforms would also be required to use reasonable means to estimate the age of account holders and flag accounts for parental consent if they determine a user is younger than 16. If a social media platform violates this law, they would be subject to civil penalties under the Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act.
This amendment would help ensure kids are safe from the addictive features of social media and give power back to the parents regarding their child's social media use.
As always, I encourage constituents to reach out to me with any questions or concerns by filling out a "Contact Me" form on the IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/Raatz website or by calling my office at 800-382-9467.
-30-
State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond) represents Senate District 27, which includes
Henry, Union and Wayne counties, and portions of Franklin County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
