Washington, D.C. — Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) has helped introduce the Kids Off Social Media Act alongside Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Katie Britt (R-AL).
The bipartisan legislation would set a minimum age of 13 to use social media platforms and prevent social media companies from feeding algorithmically-targeted content to users under the age of 17.
The legislation is also co-sponsored by Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), John Fetterman (D-PA), Angus King (I-ME).
Senator Budd said in a statement:
“Parents in North Carolina and across the country are rightly concerned about the mental health crisis among our young people. This bipartisan bill includes the Eyes on the Board Act, which is a commonsense solution to ensure that kids are focused on their studies at school rather than social media. I’m proud to join my colleagues to propose a solution to ensure that the next generation of Americans is protected from harmful habits that rob them of their attention and their mental health.”
Senator Cruz said:
“Every parent with a young child or a teenager either worries about, or knows first-hand, the real harms and dangers of addictive and anxiety-inducing social media. Parents know there’s no good reason for a child to be doom-scrolling or binge-watching reels that glorify unhealthy lifestyles. The Kids Off Social Media Act not only helps these families in crisis, but it also gives teachers control over their classrooms. Our bill includes bipartisan provisions I’ve championed to restrict teenagers’ access to social media on federally-subsidized school networks and devices. Young students should have their eyes on the board, not their phones. I am grateful to Sen. Schatz for his dedication to finding solutions to the significant challenges facing millions of parents of young children and am hopeful that our bipartisan legislation, along with other proposals like KOSA and COPPA 2.0, will greatly reduce the physical and emotional dangers threatening many of America’s youth.”
Senator Schatz said:
“There is no good reason for a nine-year-old to be on Instagram or TikTok. There just isn’t. The growing evidence is clear: social media is making kids more depressed, more anxious, and more suicidal. This is an urgent health crisis, and Congress must act.”
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