On Wednesday, the Florida House passed a bill banning children under 16 from popular social media platforms, regardless of parental approval. The bill, which is the top priority for the House’s speaker, aims to address the addictive nature of these platforms and the potential harm they can cause to children.
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While the bill does not specify which platforms would be affected, it targets social media sites that track user activity, allow children to upload content and interact with others, and use features designed to encourage excessive or compulsive use. However, the bill would not impact apps used for private messaging between individuals. Republican Rep. Tyler Sirois, the sponsor of the bill, highlighted the exploitative nature of social media platforms, stating, “ They’re taking advantage of kids growing up. That’s their business model, And why do they do it? To keep them hooked…with the dopamine hits, the platform gives our children every autoplay, like, and push notification.”