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- The Texas State Senate is set to vote on a bill that would ban the use of social media by anyone under the age of 18.
- The decision should be reached by the end of 2nd June.
- Texas would be the second State banning social media, after Florida did so last year.
In one week, we should have a better idea of whether Texas will be banning social media use for anyone under the age of 18. The Texas State Senate is set to vote on a social media ban, after a bill was passed during a legislative session a couple of days ago.
A decision on banning social media for those younger than 18 is expected to be reached by the end of 2nd June next week.
If approved by the Senate, and Governor Gregg Abbott, Texas would be the second State to implement such a ban, with Florida having done so last year.
Moving forward parental consent will be required if a child under the age of 18 wants to access social media in the region or register an account. How this would be practically enacted, however, remains unclear, as the mechanism by which consent is obtained and verified has not been disclosed.
We have seen children accounts for social media being launched in recent months and years too, but the efficacy of such alternatives are not fully known.
It is also a fact that if a child wants to access social media, or any material online, thay are not permitted to, they will find a workaround.
This could mean more work for parents and social media platforms alike, as the bill set to go for vote also allows parents to delete the accounts of their children should they wish. From there, social media platforms will be given 10 days to remove the account entirely or face some sort of fine.
Texas has taken a similarly strong stance on porn or explicit material online, implementing a ban there too, although banning social media altogether would be far wider reaching.
As Engadget points out, this is an issue that the Republican party is particularly concerned with, as a bill featuring a ban on social media for anyone under the age of 13 was presented in April.
The merits of banning social media are certainly up for debate, and while South Africa has no such policies, parent groups appear to want smartphones to become less of an influence at school, with some initiatives like the SFC digital parent pact having come to the fore of late.
Either way, the impact of social media on children and whether a ban can result in a positive outcome is a debate that continues to rage on.
[Image – Photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash]
