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ndrosenI sent a message to my Congressman a few hours ago, asking him to oppose HR 821, a bill sponsored by Congressman Chris Stewart (R, Utah) which would forbid social media businesses to let persons younger than sixteen be on social media, and require them to demand government identification from everyone, to make sure that youths were not participating illegally.
While social media may, as Mr. Stewart says, contribute to distress (“mental illness”) among some young people, others may benefit by finding online friends, joining in discussions that interest them, or getting valuable advice from adults. Parents may wish to forbid their offspring from using social media, or from spending too much time online, but it is not the business of the federal government to do so. When I was younger than sixteen, I participated in a lower-tech version of social media, by following the letters in the local newspaper, and writing a number of letters of my own.
While social media may, as Mr. Stewart says, contribute to distress (“mental illness”) among some young people, others may benefit by finding online friends, joining in discussions that interest them, or getting valuable advice from adults. Parents may wish to forbid their offspring from using social media, or from spending too much time online, but it is not the business of the federal government to do so. When I was younger than sixteen, I participated in a lower-tech version of social media, by following the letters in the local newspaper, and writing a number of letters of my own.
