Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine continues to push for a bill in the state budget that would require parental consent for teens’ use of social media platforms.
DeWine, Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted and mental health leaders on Monday identified the proposed consent bill as one of the state’s mental health priorities.
“There is growing evidence that social media platforms can have a negative impact on children’s mental health and well-being,” DeWine said. “Furthermore, social media platforms can expose children to predators who seek to exploit them. When teens need to get their parents’ consent when watching an R-rated film because of exposure to inappropriate content, it only makes sense that parents should give their children permission to have social media accounts.”
Husted first pushed for the Consent Act in February, and DeWine included the Social Media Parental Notification Act in its budget proposal in March. It would require social media companies to develop a method to determine if the user is under 16, obtain verifiable parental or guardian consent if the user is under 16, and provide written confirmation to the send to parents or legal guardians.
The legislation would include social media and online gaming companies like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat, as well as online shopping sites.
“The Surgeon General and child health experts have concluded that these platforms are responsible for negative physical and mental health consequences for a generation of our children, and it is our responsibility to protect them by protecting social media companies for the Accountable for the consequences of what happens to them. “Platforms,” Husted said.
If a parent or legal guardian refuses consent, the Company must refuse the child access or use of the Website, Service, Product or Online Feature.
As The Center Square previously reported, half of parents believe their children have suffered from social media use in the past year, and a growing number of parents say they are uncomfortable discussing mental health with their children, according to a new report to speak.
The Parent Survey, conducted by The Harris Poll for The On Our Sleeves Movement for Children’s Mental Health, asked parents of children under the age of 18 how they thought social media use had impacted their children’s mental health.
The survey found that 50% of respondents felt their child’s mental health had suffered as a result of social media use over the past year.
“Social media is largely seen by teens as a place to network and socialize with their peers, but research shows that nearly a quarter of teens say these platforms make them feel worse about their own lives going,” says Lori Criss, director of Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services.
Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox
