Latest news with #HouseBill499
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas lawmakers advancing bill to ban kids from social media
A bill that would ban social media for minors, among other sweeping measures, has gained traction in the Texas Legislature, as lawmakers prepare to take a tougher stance on online safety. Lawmakers have suggested several initiatives this session to address the online dangers affecting Texas children, but among those progressing through the lower chamber include House Bill 186 filed by Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco. It would prohibit minors from creating accounts on social media sites and require age verification for new users. In addition to restrictions on access, the bill would grant parents the right to request the deletion of their child's social media account, and a company must comply within 10 days. 'This legislation will allow today's kids to be kids again,' Patterson told lawmakers on Tuesday, calling this bill "one of the most important pieces of legislation' he has carried. Patterson's bill passed the House on Tuesday with 116 votes, the same day as lawmakers passed House Bill 499, by Rep. Mary González, D-Clint, which would require social media platforms to have a warning label concerning the association between a minor's social media usage and significant mental health issues. 'We do know warning labels have an effect,' Gonzalez told lawmakers on Monday, citing the warning label on cigarettes. 'We are using the same concept for social media.' Both of these bills are expected to receive support from the more conservative Senate, meaning new rules on social media platforms like TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram might be implemented later this year or early next year. If these bills become law, it is expected to face lawsuits from tech companies, who have consistently challenged government mandates on the industry, saying it's unconstitutional under the First Amendment free speech right. House Bill 4456, which would require social media platforms to verify the age of account holders, and House Bill 4338, which would require social media platforms to create and maintain third-party safety software to manage online interactions for children, are still pending in committees. These bills are part of a larger effort that Texas and other states have undertaken over the past few years to mitigate the harmful effects of social media. 'The harms we are seeing in today's children will only be exacerbated if steps are not taken,' Patterson said. Studies show that 95% of youth aged 13 to 17 report using social media, with more than a third stating they use social media 'almost constantly.' Nearly 40% of children aged 8 to 12 use social media, despite most platforms requiring a minimum age of 13 to sign up, according to a study by the U.S. Surgeon General. This has created a generation of chronically online children, and the medical community is still unsure of their long-term effects. Two years ago, the American Federation of Teachers and the American Psychological Association, among other national organizations, called out social media platforms for undermining classroom learning, increasing costs for school systems, and being a 'root cause' of the nationwide youth mental health crisis. The admonishment came after a report detailed how school districts across the country are experiencing significant burdens as they respond to tech's predatory and prevalent influence in the classroom. The same year, in an attempt to hold social media companies more accountable, Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law House Bill 18, known as the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act. The SCOPE Act requires covered digital service providers to provide minors with certain data protections, prevent minors from accessing harmful content, and give parents tools to manage their child's use of the service. It also required school districts to obtain parental consent for most software and social media applications used in the classroom and to look for alternatives to the internet for instruction. For 24/7 mental health support in English or Spanish, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's free help line at 800-662-4357. You can also reach a trained crisis counselor through the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas lawmakers want to add warning label to social media platforms
The Brief A House Committee on Public Health hearing was held Monday to discuss House Bill 499, authored by Texas Rep. Mary Gonzalez (D-Clint). The bill would require users to click on a warning label, stating they understand the association between social media use and a minor's significant mental health issues. Last summer, then-U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy made the same plea to Congress with a bill dubbed the Stop the Scroll Act. It was introduced in September but never made it out of committee. Gonzalez said the bill would require the Health and Human Services Commission to write the warning with input from a panel of experts. The bill was left pending in the public health committee. With growing data linking social media use to an increase in teen depression, eating disorders and suicides, Texas House lawmakers debated whether there should be warning labels placed on platforms. The bill being debated would require platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to show a warning that there is a link between a teen's social media usage and significant mental health issues. What we know A House Committee on Public Health hearing was held Monday to discuss House Bill 499, authored by Texas Rep. Mary Gonzalez (D-Clint). The bill would require users to click on a warning label, stating they understand the association between social media use and a minor's significant mental health issues. Last summer, then-U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy made the same plea to Congress with a bill dubbed the Stop the Scroll Act. It was introduced in September, but it never made it out of committee. Rep. James Frank (R-Wichita Falls) wants a warning to include the addictive nature of social media. "They have the data that shows how addictive it is," he said. "They have hired child psychologists to make sure it is more addictive and then withheld that information from parents." Lawmakers also debated if a warning label would actually have an impact. Gonzalez said the label would educate both teens and their parents. What they're saying "We know adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face risks of anxiety and depression," said Gonzalez. "We know when we added cigarette health warning labels, the understanding of consumption raised for the consumer." Dr. Lauren Gambill, a pediatrician representing the Texas Medical Association and the Texas Pediatric Society, said she's seen the damage from social media on her patients firsthand. "As a hospital-based pediatrician, I take care of kids in the hospital following suicide attempts at an alarming frequency," she told the committee. Gambill said in her decade of practice, problems linked to social media are not only becoming more frequent, but the children impacted are becoming younger. Problems extend beyond depression and suicide attempts to eating disorders prompted by so-called health influencers. "My patients tell me they follow 'what I eat daily' trends and go to social media for grueling workout routines," she said. "By the time they get to me, they are so nutritionally depleted that their heartrates slow down, and they can't maintain their blood pressures." Dr. Gambill told the committee the warning label would be a step in the right direction to address the ongoing mental health crisis. "Will it solve it? Will it reach every child? Absolutely not," she said. "But I think if we save even one life, I think it would be important." What's next Gonzalez said the bill would require the Health and Human Services Commission to write the warning with input from a panel of experts. The bill was left pending in the public health committee. The Source Information in this article comes from Monday's Texas House Committee on Public Health hearing, State Rep. Mary Gonzalez (D-Clint) and previous news coverage.
