Social media regulation is entering a new phase after a pair of major tech companies were found liable for harms caused to youths. Minnesota parents vocal about too much exposure to these platforms sense this is just the beginning for corrective action.

Juries in two other states awarded civil penalties in the millions, one against Facebook parent company Meta over misleading claims about platform safety, and the other against YouTube for negligence by using addictive design features.

Minnesota mom Alissa Ochs, co-founder of the group Buzz Off Social, which encourages parents to delay social media use among their kids, feels the negative impacts are too dangerous for a child's developing brain.

"It's taking parenting out of parents' hands," she said, "and it's not doing our kids any justice when they have the opportunity to just have a less technology-driven childhood."

Research is still coming together, but a 2023 advisory from the U.S. surgeon general said evidence suggests social media has the potential to harm the mental health of youths.

Aside from a proposal in Congress, a bipartisan bill making its way through the Minnesota Legislature would enact tighter restrictions on platform accessibility for minors.

Ochs predicted the verdicts will help push more of these plans across the finish line. Both companies are expected to appeal.

Legal observers say the civil penalties, while small compared with company earnings, could give similar lawsuits more steam. Ochs said she'd like to see more bans that have been enacted elsewhere around the world. No matter the laws, she acknowledged children will still have digital options around them as they grow. But Ochs said she feels there's a groundswell of like-minded parents who want a balance between the positives from tech innovation and the need for kids to experience in-person interactions.

"You need to also see the world in its true form," she said, "and not just a picture-perfect idealized version that social media presents."

Ochs said emerging accountability should also be a wake-up call for parents, herself included, to regulate their own social media use.

"When we've had technology all day for our work, we need to be able to set that phone down and pay attention to our kids," she said. "They do notice, they are noticing."

Source: Public News Service