State Senator Aric Nesbitt has introduced legislation that would ban social media for those under the age of 16.
Nesbitt tells us Senate Bill 996 would prohibit social media companies from maintaining accounts for users under 16 and require parental consent for users 16 to 18. He says countless studies have shown that social media hurt young people.
“I have three young kids and I know the social media is a threat to the mental and physical health of our children,” Nesbitt said. “Anxiety, sleep loss, depression, body image and eating disorders, self-harm, suicide. The list just goes on and on. And unlike some epidemics, we know exactly how to stop this one.”
Under the bill, the Michigan Attorney General could sue a social media company found to be in violation, assessing them fines of up to $25,000 per day that the violation isn’t corrected. The bill does not specify how the social media companies would verify ages or what counts as valid written parental consent.
Nesbitt says the idea has worked elsewhere.
“This is all about making sure that our parents are involved, our kids are protected, and we’ve seen in other states that them being able to push this, that it works and it can be effective, and that’s why we’re doing it.”
Nesbitt challenges fellow lawmakers to “have the guts” to approve the legislation. The “Regulating Access to Social Media Companies by Minors Act” would apply to giants like Meta, who will likely push back. Nesbitt says, “I’m sure it’s coming.”
