How do you feel about a congressional law banning kids under 16 from using social media?

👍 Strongly agree (38%) – "I think the minimum age should be 18. This would allow for the younger generation to get a foundation in real, face to face relationships so they can be attuned to what is reality before being exposed to online friendships where everyone only posts what their best looks like and keeps their real selves hidden."

• "As a high school teacher, and parent of two teenagers, I see firsthand the effects of social media on students and the increased risk of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. My oldest just turned 16 and got her first (and only) SM account, and said she was so happy she waited because of the drama she was able to avoid by not having one."
• "Kids only have one chance to be kids. They should be spending their time in reality, to learn how to get along with people and to experience the world. Perhaps it's my age that's showing, but I was 18 when Facebook launched and I don't think it hurt me not to have access to social media in my childhood. There were other ways to reach my friends online (remember Instant Messenger anyone?) and it only encouraged us to spend more time together in person."
• "As a former educator, I've witnessed the strife it can cause amongst teenagers - damaging their self esteem and self worth. I was not a trained counsellor, but spent a lot of time helping my students through heart piercing insults and ridicule they experienced from social media. It wrenched my heart."

📈 Agree/Somewhat agree (26%) – "I think, like with almost anything, social media plays a nuanced role in our mental health. It provides a voice for many silenced people, and an important democratic source of information that often reveals holes/biases in the media narratives; but on the other hand, it also provides a damaging and imposing hyperfocus on self-image, popularity, and instant gratification. It's hard to ignore the cognitive and emotional consequences at this point; even for adults, the pros and cons are difficult to balance. But for adolescents, we know that their psychological development almost totally prevents them from being able to manage this balance."

• "As someone who joined Facebook when I was 13, as an adult now I can feel the effects and anxiety related to another layer of social stress that is added to our lives. Social media companies also turn the customers into the product, which in my opinion is unethical to do to minors. However, this will be really hard to reinforce and many students will join anyways."

🤷 Neutral (12%) – "I teach teens, and I’d be hard pressed to find a single one who “had to wait” until their 13th birthday to join social media sites – unless their parents forbid it. Until Congress can somehow ACTUALLY prevent anyone younger than 16 to join social media, then there's no point to this bill."

📉 Disagree/Somewhat disagree (14%) – "I don't think increasing the age will help. What we need is better education around social media and its use and dangers, as well as more of a cultural shift to discourage use among kids. 13 may be the legal age but there are plenty of kids younger than that who are using the platforms, with their parents' knowledge."

• "While possibly good in theory, this kind of legislation is unenforceable. A better strategy would be to put pressure on social media companies to increase parental controls, and offer more education to all users about the mental health issues that surround social media."

👎 Strongly disagree (10%) – "This would way overstep the acceptable boundaries of government intervention. Parents are the only ones who can & should make decisions about what the deem to be acceptable use of things like social media or other technology."