Utah has been buzzing about a social media bill, SB152, introduced by Sen. Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, that would require parental permission and age verification, among other requirements. As a parent who has raised teenagers, I know firsthand just how detrimental this would be to Utah’s youth.
This bill is a band-aid fix to a true problem: teens need to learn to use the internet safely. Social media is an incredible tool that enhances teens social lives and should be at their fingertips, not under lock and key. My own kids have benefited from social media — it’s allowed them to stay connected to friends and family, especially during the pandemic, and to develop skills about online safety and responsibility that they can only learn through firsthand experience on the platforms. Unfortunately, some legislators want to take that away.
I have many concerns with this bill. Obviously, I don’t want my kids to be forced to provide their identifying information to social media companies or restricted from use at arbitrary times of day. But above all, I don’t want the government telling me how to parent my children. This legislation infringes on decisions that should be made within my own household, taking away my right to choose what is best for my kids. It also ignores my teens’ autonomy and deprives them of the chance to learn internet safety and responsibility, not to mention the opportunity to master a tool that is used across the globe and that they’ll undoubtedly need in college and beyond. These lawmakers are succumbing to a moral panic and taking our kids’ futures down with them.
Requiring age verification is deeply concerning too — the purpose of this proposed legislation is to keep kids and their information safe, right? Yet lawmakers are fine with handing our teens’ identifying information over to social media companies, even as states across the country ban apps like TikTok from government-issued devices over fears about the information that the app collects on Americans. In an age where cyber-attacks are only on the rise, this is not a trivial concern and should be taken seriously.
The bill also proposes a default ban on social media use between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. unless a parent opts out. What these lawmakers clearly don’t realize is that parents can already use in-app tools to set their own time limits or usage restrictions without the government getting involved. No need for legislation — we’ve got this.
I was in awe of 13-year-old Lucy Loewen, who spoke articulately about the benefits of social media at a Senate Business and Labor committee meeting. Lucy shared that social media helps kids connect with other kids and can be a benefit to combatting negative emotions. As Lucy said, “Will this really be creating responsible teenagers and adults if the government is just taking over and not letting us choose for ourselves? We want to stop government intervention, so why would we let the government control our lives?”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Our teenagers these days are savvy and smart. Let’s lean into this and work on solutions that educate and empower parents to be equipped with the tools to tailor their kid’s online experience. Additionally, we should focus on educating children on the benefits and pitfalls of social media use to mitigate potential harms rather than making kids afraid of the amazing tools they have access to. And any parent knows that kids will always find a way — let’s keep the conversation about social media and the internet open and ensure that the next generation is well prepared for what the future holds for them. I know that’s what I want for my kids.
As this bill continues to take shape, I’m encouraged to see that other extreme requirements — such as banning social media for users under 16 — have been excluded, but that is not enough. Utah’s representatives must continue to push back on this legislation as a whole. Our youth today have been raised using social media; it’s here to stay and we should embrace that. Let teens be teens, and let parents be parents. It’s the only thing that makes sense.
Heather Andrews is the state director for Americans for Prosperity Utah.