JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is pushing new legislation aimed at limiting teenagers’ social media use, saying the proposal would give parents more control over their children’s online activity.
The proposed Safe Screens Act would apply to teens ages 14 to 17 and would impose several restrictions on social media platforms. The measure would block overnight access to social media apps, limit teens to two hours of daily use and disable features such as cosmetic filters, autoplay functions and infinite scrolling.
The proposal would also prohibit artificial intelligence chatbot features that simulate emotional or sexual companionship. Additionally, the legislation would prevent chatbots from encouraging self-harm, eating disorders or other behavior considered harmful.
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Clinical psychologist Justin D’Arienzo said excessive social media use can negatively affect teenagers. According to D’Arienzo, spending more than three hours a day on social media can contribute to “an increase in depression, anxiety, self-esteem, and also weaker school performance.”
However, D’Arienzo said social media can also play an important role in helping young people maintain social connections.
“It keeps them in the loop. So it’s not all bad,” D’Arienzo said.
LaVita Tuff, policy director for Moms Against Media Addiction (MAMA), supports the proposed legislation and called it an important first step toward protecting children online.
“These apps and these platforms aren’t meant for kids to just spend a short amount of time on them; they’re built for there to be compulsive use,” Tuff said.
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Tuff also noted that suicide is the second-leading cause of death among young teenagers and argued that social media is a significant contributing factor.
“If we don’t hold big tech accountable and make them responsible for the way they create these platforms to be this way, then we’re going to continue to see these harms really impact families all across this country,” Tuff said.
The Safe Screens Act has not yet been proposed in the upcoming legislative session. Action News Jax will continue to follow developments as the measure moves through the legislative process.
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