In what seems to be a shocking combat against social media for the younger generations of the country, Utah’s governor Spencer J. Fox signed a bill that could have massive consequences for the thousands of teenagers that use apps that garner internet presence.
Some apps have recently undergone heavy fire from U.S. governors and officials alike, most notably TikTok and Meta’s Instagram. TikTok, a Chinese-based company that has arguably become the fastest growing app in history, has been repeatedly attacked for breaching the privacy and well-being of many American teenagers. Statista reported that approximately 7 out of 10 teens in the U.S. use TikTok, making it the third-most used social media app for the age group, only behind Snapchat (80%) and Instagram (84%).
Both Democrats and Republicans alike have shown concern for the extreme usage of some of the apps present. States such as Utah and Arkansas have begun implementing age-limit restrictions for children under legal age, further cutting down on some kids’ free reign of their online life.
The New York Times stated that Utah’s bill will block minors from using such social media apps from 10:30pm at night to 6:30am in the morning, unless an adult eases the restrictions. The proposed law will also give parents the rights to check messages and posts on the sites as well.
Despite attempts to quell the ongoing problem of social media, the state of Utah will continue to be a battleground of teenage freedom and spirit. Even with the enforcing of such actions, apps like TikTok may already be too large to handle. The social media era is as strong as ever, and it will take lots of planning from a variety of sources to solve this issue.
Sources:
https://www.statista.com/chart/22446/most-used-social-media-platforms-by-us-teens/
Image Credits: AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato
