Should New York Explore a Social Media Curfew for Minors?
Oh, boy! This is not going to go over very well with social media-obsessed young people - a social media curfew.
Yes, this is a real thing. No, it is not in New York. Not yet.
Utah became the first state in the United States to impose a social media curfew for children and teens as more and more concerns rise over dangerous content being uploaded on TikTok and other social media platforms.
Under the law, minors will be completely blocked from using social media sites such as TikTock, Instagram, Snapchat, and all other platforms between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. Additionally, the new Utah law also blocks social media companies from implementing features and advertising aimed specifically at minors.
Utah became the first state in the nation to impose a curfew on social media access for children and teens as part of sweeping reforms amid the dangers posed by harmful content on TikTok and other platforms.
But, that's not all. Any Utah resident under the age of 18 will also need consent from their parents to create any social media account and by law, they must give their parents access to their social media accounts.
If all of this sounds unthinkable, that it couldn't possibly be an idea tossed around in New York, don't write off the idea completely. Although Utah is a right-leaning state, the idea of implementing curfews on social media and tighter regulations has found its way to lawmakers in more left-leaning states such as left-leaning New Jersey and California.
At the moment, Arkansas, Texas, Ohio, California, New Jersey, and Louisiana are all considering following in the footsteps of Utah.
Should New York also consider tightening and even restricting access to social media for minors? Is there really any way to fully protect children from the dangers of social media without completely taking down social media platforms? How exactly will these social media curfews be enforced? Will they actually make a difference? How many invasion of privacy and such lawsuits will pop up?