California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently endorsed age requirements for social media. “As a parent, we need help,” Gov. Newsom said recently. “We have a generation that’s never been more anxious, less free, more stressed, and we have to address this issue.”
Concerns like Gov. Newsom’s about how social media and phones are affecting young people continue to grow. And, on the surface, setting age requirements for social media apps and other content seems to resonate with many people.
One frequent question from proponents of age-gating is that if minors aren’t allowed to buy cigarettes and alcohol without proving they are 18 or 21 years old, why should they have so much access to content on Instagram, TikTok, and websites? But the internet is not a convenience store, and social media is not a chemical or substance. Social media helps distribute and share content and information, make social connections, and enable shared experiences.
Age verification laws require social media companies, websites, apps and other services to verify all users’ ages. This is typically done through identification document checks, but can also be done via biometric scans or other age-estimation tools of questionable value. Some of these methods make users’ information vulnerable to hackers.
For policymakers proposing age restrictions, an important question is: At what age should kids be allowed to access social media? Some parents may say their kids’ 13th birthdays are a good time. How about when they turn 16 and can start driving? What about 18, when they’re treated as adults in California?
Assembly Bill 1709, recently introduced with bipartisan support, aims to set a minimum age for social media use. A spokesperson for Newsom said the governor supports banning teens under 16 from having social media accounts, in part because he has watched Australia’s ban on social media for those under 16.
The choice of age 16 is not rooted in scientific data or reasoning. It is an arbitrary age set by lawmakers to restrict the content children can view. Policymakers may be equipped to parent their own children and decide when they’re ready for social media and other information, but they can’t and shouldn’t speak to the needs of every child.
The age requirements do not account for the fact that no two children are alike. Some 13- and 15-year-olds may be ready to use social media to responsibly connect with friends and family, people who share their hobbies and interests, and even use social media to find support and solace in like-minded communities. For some teenagers, online spaces offer vital sources of information that would otherwise not be available to them. Meanwhile, other teens might not yet be ready for responsible social media use at age 16, but that is a decision only their parents can make.
Related Articles
John Moorlach: Is history going to repeat itself in Orange County? Ron Paul: Stuck in another disastrous Middle East war Orange County business perspectives from the State of the Union Solitary confinement does not make prisons safer David Hadley: Trump 2.0 one year in – advice from a supporter If Gov. Newsom and legislators want to implement effective policy change, their focus should be on solutions that empower parents to make the best decisions for their own children. The California Digital Age Assurance Act, passed by the legislature and signed by Gov. Newsom last year, already requires app stores to send an age signal to apps when parents choose to tell the app store they’re dealing with a child. It is a more targeted solution than age-gating, allowing parents to determine the type of content that is right for their children without resorting to more heavy-handed restrictions. Lawmakers should allow that law to be fully implemented and studied before passing additional laws.Proponents of age requirements admit that many kids under the set age will still open social media accounts. The requirements won’t stop many of the other problems Gov. Newsom and others worry about, including allegedly addictive or endless scrolling by teens. They don’t change online content, reduce criminal behavior, or make kids safer.
Rather than more heavy-handed legislation, California should empower and trust parents.
Caden Rosenbaum is managing director of technology policy at Reason Foundation.
Hence then, the article about california doesn t need a new age requirement for social media was published today ( ) and is available on The Orange County Register ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( California doesn’t need a new age requirement for social media )
Also on site :