
In March, Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 3, the social media verification law. This law went into effect in Florida on Jan. 1 with the intention of prohibiting children aged 13 and under from creating a social media account. However, this law allows teens aged 14 and 15 to own a social media account with parental consent.
HB 3 will also allow parents to request the deletion of their child’s social media account, giving parents the ability to remove their child from social media platforms they deem inappropriate.
DeSantis, much like many parents, believes limiting what the younger generation can view online will prevent teens from accessing inappropriate content.
“Social media harms children in a variety of ways … HB 3 gives parents a greater ability to protect their children,” DeSantis said at a news conference.
Social media access has the potential of not only exposing minors to inappropriate content but also altering their sleep, decreasing their self-esteem and increasing the risk of mental health issues. According to Yale Medicine, American teens aged 12 to 15 who used social media for more than three hours daily doubled their risk of experiencing mental health problems like depression and anxiety.
Trudy Simmons, a mother of four, believes that preventing children from accessing social media will release them from the negative impacts of encountering unsuitable media.
“I don’t think social media should be available to kids; they have the possibility of being exposed to all sorts of content while their brain is still molding.” Simmons said. “We should just allow kids to be kids.”
However, critics claim that HB 3 plans to substantially stifle the First Amendment. The freedom of speech rights of minors are compromised without the ability to express themselves online, engage in discussions and access important information. Additionally, minors are silenced when parents request the deletion of their social media accounts; this action prevents teens from communicating independently.
The new law also introduces verification issues, as minors have the ability to enter a false age to create a social media account without parental consent. The Computer & Communications Industry Association understands that in order to comply with this law, social media platforms will have to employ new verification tools. Although the CCIA age verification measures can potentially create concerns for users’ privacy and security while also breaching the freedom of speech.
Khara Boender, the state policy director of the CCIA, issued a statement following the signing of HB 3.
“This law could create substantial obstacles for young people seeking access to online information, a right afforded to all Americans regardless of age,” Boender said.
Overall, HB 3 will effectively open conversations regarding the safety of the younger demographic online and the importance of limiting what can be viewed at a developmental age.
Cherlette McCullough, a psychotherapist at Center Peace Therapy in Central Florida, shared with WESH her thoughts on the matter.
“All of us have been teens as well. When we want to get into something, we’re going to get into it,” McCullough said. “I think it’s more about parents having those family talks and having open dialog with their teens about life things, about their world.”