LANSING, Mich. — Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt on Wednesday introduced legislation to prohibit social media companies from maintaining accounts for users under the age of 16 in Michigan.
“Study after study confirms what every parent already knows to be true — social media is a threat to the mental and physical health of our children. Anxiety. Sleep loss. Depression. Body image and eating disorders. Self-harm. Suicide. The list goes on and on and on,” said Nesbitt, R-Porter Township. “Unlike some epidemics, we know exactly how to stop this one. But the big question is whether lawmakers have the guts to do so. I do — I’m willing to fight for our kids.”
Senate Bill 996 would ban social media platforms from providing accounts to minors under the age of 16. The legislation would allow accounts to be created for older teenagers ages 16 to 18 with parental consent.
“We have a long history of laws restricting access to substances like alcohol and tobacco because we know kids aren’t ready to handle their harmful, addictive properties — and it’s time to start treating social media like the drug that it is,” Nesbitt said. “We cannot afford to keep ignoring the problem, and we cannot settle for half measures. Our children need our help.”