Voices On the Ground
Americans are concerned about the negative impact that social media is having on kids. It is a deeply personal issue for Americans. More than one in three (34%) have been or know someone who has been harmed by social media – for moms, nearly half (47%) noted these harms.
Below are voices on the ground.
Parents
Frank Luntz interviews moms about their kids and social media — moms share how their children have become ‘petulant’, ‘sullen,’ even ‘threatening’ when they try to take their kids’ cell phones away or limit access to social media.
My son died after being cyberbullied. Congress must hold social media giants accountable — Kristin Bride, USA Today
Mothers Power New Drive to Make Social-Media Firms Accountable for Harms — The Wall Street Journal
What happened when toxic social media came for my daughter — Laura Thornton, The Washington Post
(S2, Ep. 3) Accountable — KOSA discussion with founding members of the On Line Harms working group at Fairplay's Screen Time Action Network, Joann Bogard and Kristin Bride — No App For Life podcast
‘The tide has turned’: why parents are suing US social media firms after their children’s death — The Guardian
Joint Letter to House Leadership on KOSA with ParentsTogether — Parents for Safe Online Spaces
Our representatives have the chance to save children’s lives — Jeff Van Lith, The Spokesman-Review
Young People
Surveys of young people show the level of harm they are experiencing.
59% of U.S. teens report being bullied on social media, an experience linked to increased risky behaviors such as smoking and increased risk of suicidal ideation.
83% of 13-17 year olds agree social platforms cause real-world harms.
25% of 9 - 17-year-olds report having had an online sexually explicit interaction with someone they believed to be an adult.
64% of those ages 18-29 have been or know someone who has been harmed by social media.
For Gen Z, Social Media Reform Has Been a Lifetime in the Making — Emma Lembke, Ms. Magazine
How We Can Build the Internet That Today’s Youth Deserve — Trisha Prabhu, The Messenger Opinion
Design It For Us Calls for Full Senate Vote on Kids’ Online Safety Bills, including KOSA — Design It For Us
Allies
Letter from over 200 national, state, and local organizations calling for the passage of KOSA
(S2, Ep. 1) Accountable — KOSA discussion with Social Media Victims Law Center attorney Laura Marquez-Garrett — No App For Life podcast
(S2, Ep. 2) Accountable — KOSA discussion with Social Media Victims Law Center attorney Laura Marquez-Garrett — No App For Life podcast
Medical Professionals
EDC Applauds the Bipartisan Reintroduction of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) — Eating Disorders Coalition
Zuckerberg claims social media isn’t harmful to mental health — here’s what the science says — Mitch Prinstein, The Hill
Social Media and Youth Mental Health: Are You Worried Yet? — Forbes