Lawmakers are making a bipartisan push to limit children’s screen time, with the Senate Commerce Committee hearing from pediatricians and mental health experts about the impact of social media on youth.
The hearing confirmed that children are spending more time on social media than ever before, with researchers noting some spend more than eight hours a day on it. The committee is now considering setting a minimum age of 13 for social media platforms, banning addictive algorithms and addressing youth AI usage.
“Apps are deliberately engineered to hook kids, to keep them clicking, scrolling and coming back,” said Cantwell.
Radesky highlighted another concern, noting how young children perceive AI assistants. “When you interview four and 5-year-olds about things like an AI assistant like Alexa, they say, ‘I think it has feelings. I think it could be my friend,'” said Radesky.
Tech companies have argued that age verification could strip away parents’ freedom to choose what their children can access online and put children’s data at risk. However, some tech giants like YouTube have already begun adding more parental controls.
The bipartisan bill also proposes cutting federal funding for schools that do not block social media and harmful content.
