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Screen time is causing increased rates of depression and anxiety among teenagers and pre-teens! The ban on cell phone use during school hours was a great step in the right direction, but we also need to support legislation such as the Kids Online Safety Act proposed by U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut.
The online safety act would help protect America’s children and adolescents from the dangers of online predators and inappropriate content shared online. The Kids Online Safety Act would not only restrict strangers from contacting children and teens online, the bill would also restrict easy access to the location of a minor child.
As the mother of three children and a graduate student in social work, I believe it is essential that parents, teachers and other residents advocate for the passage of the Kids Online Safety Act. If passed, the bill will create a safer environment on social media sites, online video games, streaming services common to teenagers and messaging applications if the bill is signed into law.
The Kids Online Safety Act would remove some of the burden from parents for controlling their child’s phone and would place safety measures on sites commonly visited by children ages 17 and under. The Kids Online Safety Act was passed by the Senate in 2024 but has not advanced out of the House of Representatives at this time.
We must advocate for the passage of this act to protect our youth from the harmful side effects associated with frequent online use and social media! We must act quickly, and we cannot rely on tech companies to look out for and protect our children!
Candace LaMont
Wichita County resident and social work master’s degree student at the University of Oklahoma
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This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Support the Kids Online Safety Act | Opinion
Reporting by Candance Lamont, Wichita County resident, social work graduate student / Wichita Falls Times Record News
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