From Feeds To Freed – A Bold Perspective For Kid-Safe Social Media

No more algorithm and no more data hoovering for kids.

New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed two bills aimed at protecting children from the potential harms of social media.
The Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act and the New York Child Data Protection Act are designed to restrict how social media companies interact with and collect data from users under the age of 18.
These laws require social media companies to prevent algorithmically driven feeds from reaching minors and prohibit the collection, sharing, or selling of personal data from children without parental consent.

But let’s take a moment to think about this – will these laws truly make a difference and how will the platforms adapt to meet these laws?

The bigger question:
Who is really responsible for protecting our kids online?
Is it the social media giants who need to change their ways, or should parents step up their game?
While Governor Hochul believes these laws will create a safer digital environment and give parents more peace of mind, even if it all works out perfectly, enforcing these regulations could be a significant challenge.
Tech companies will need to develop robust age verification and parental consent mechanisms (let alone change what young people see in their environments)… in a world where so many parents already fib about their kids’ ages (creating accounts for them as 18 year olds) so they don’t have to monitor and engage (because… you know.. is this really. big deal?… yes… it is).

It’s really on us, the parents of these kids.

This isn’t just a New York issue.
Other states like California are also taking steps to regulate social media use among minors, with initiatives such as banning notifications during school hours and limiting phone use in schools (they’re doing this in certain parts of Canada and Europe too).

Are these measures enough to combat the mental health issues linked to social media?

Last week, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called for warning labels on social media platforms, likening them to cigarettes and alcohol in terms of their potential harm.

So, what’s the real solution here?

Should we rely on legislation to protect our kids, or is it time for a cultural shift in how we approach social media use at home?
Parents play a crucial role in this – if we set better examples and establish stricter boundaries, could we reduce the reliance on heavy-handed regulation?
Social media isn’t inherently evil, but its unchecked use can have dire consequences, especially for young minds (see Jonthan Haidt’s latest book, The Anxious Generation).

Here’s my two cents:

We need a unified effort from both lawmakers and families to address this issue effectively… but we need this groundswell to come from the parents.
As we move forward, the focus should be on creating a digital culture that prioritizes mental health and responsible use.
The benefits of technology in this digital age cannot be muted.
The skills and knowledge of these tools and platforms will be critical for this next generation, but things have gone unchecked for too long.

Parents of the world… unite!

This is what David Heurtel and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM. Listen in right here.

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