Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin is advocating for a change in state laws to raise the age limit for minors using social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, citing concerns about the mental health impacts of social media on children.
Currently, laws require parental consent for children under 13, but Youngkin believes the threshold should be raised to 18. He argues that existing laws do not go far enough in protecting children from the harmful effects of social media.
While Youngkin’s proposal has been met with resistance, particularly from Democrats, some lawmakers, such as Sen. Lashrecse Aird, are open to discussion.
Aird, who is also a mother, expressed concerns that setting the age limit at 18 might be too extreme, noting that there is a significant difference in how her 16-year-old and 12-year-old use social media. She emphasized that more dialogue is needed to determine the right age limit.
Youngkin is also pushing for social media companies to implement technology to verify users’ ages and ensure that minors get proper parental consent before creating accounts.
Aird suggested that the proposal could have bipartisan support, acknowledging the dangers of current lax regulations that allow for easy manipulation of age verification.