2024-02-18 03:33:04
Published18. February 2024, 04:33
Instagram and Tiktok: Florida plans to ban social media for under 16 year olds
In Florida, social media platforms for those under 16 could be banned as early as this summer. A media psychologist assesses how useful such a law would be.
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A bill calling for a ban on social media platforms for those under 16 has been filed in Florida.
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If the law is passed, all accounts of young people and children under the age of 16 would be deleted and all users would have to have their age verified again every time they register.
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Media psychologist Daniel Süss is of the opinion that a ban would probably have little effect.
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It is more important to promote media literacy among young people and to increase youth protection measures on platforms.
Young people spend an average of three hours online per day, as the 2022 JAMES study shows. Around 8.5 percent of 12 to 19 year olds have problems using the Internet. According to surveys by Addiction Switzerland, this is above average compared to older age groups.
The US state of Florida now wants to react to this development. Social media platforms should be banned for young people under the age of 16.
This is what would happen if the law were passed
If the bill is passed, the accounts of everyone under 16 will be deleted. In addition, the social media platforms will then be obliged to have the age of the user checked again by third parties every time they register. Exactly how this will work has not yet been defined.
Exactly which platforms would be affected has not yet been determined. According to the draft law, the regulation should apply to all social media services that are “addictive, harmful or deceptive”, such as Instagram or Tiktok.
A clear majority of the Florida House of Representatives has already voted for this initiative. The draft will now be submitted to the Senate for consideration. If he and Governor Ron De Santis agree, the law would come into force in July 2024.
This is how harmful social media is for young people
Social media can lead to insecurities among young people regarding beauty ideals and their body self-image, explains Daniel Süss, media psychologist at the ZHAW and communications scientist at the University of Zurich. Excessive social comparison can damage self-esteem. “In addition, young people on the platforms can be confronted with one-sided or extremist ideals or experience sexual harassment or cyberbullying.”
Nevertheless, the expert emphasizes: “Social media is also a place where young people receive confirmation, feel socially connected and find like-minded people who support them positively. “It depends a lot on how young people use social media.”
Does a ban make sense?
“Today, many social media sites have a minimum age of 13. Increasing this to 16 years would be a significant change in the way many young people use the Internet,” says Süss. Many young people have designed their digital presence with a lot of creativity and a high level of commitment. “They would probably look for ways to maintain their network in other ways.”
In his view, measures to promote media literacy and youth protection measures on the provider side make more sense than bans. “So that problematic content and comments are better filtered and the algorithms are adjusted so that negative spirals do not arise. Or that young people who want to post problematic images or texts themselves are warned by the system or prevented from distributing them.
Is such a law technically and legally enforceable?
“Theoretically, such a law can be enforced, but the practice of protecting minors in the media shows that age verification systems can be circumvented,” said Süss. “Think about access to alcohol or pornography.”
But attempts are being made internationally and also in Switzerland to oblige the platforms to use more secure systems. “The state must then be able to check compliance and take sanctions against the platforms if it doesn’t work.”
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