Social Media Harms

The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) empowers kids and parents to take control over kids’ online experiences to better protect their health and well-being. This is accomplished through the creation of a legal duty to protect minors' online activities from harmful online interactions; and protect them from content that promotes: suicide, self-harm, eating disorders and illegal/violent activities, mandates public interest research and requires annual risk audits. This bill also addresses algorithmic recommendation systems.
2023 KOSA incorporates changes requested by various privacy advocacy groups. Significant changes and a comparison of the bills can be found here.

Dr. Jean Twenge, a research psychologist and author of the books, iGen and Generations, has been studying generational differences for decades and was one of the first researchers to raise the alarm regarding the rise of smartphone and social media use and teen depression world-wide. In an interview on The Ezra Klein Show, Dr. Twenge made these recommendations for reducing smartphone use:

No phones in the bedroom overnight. Invest in alarms clocks to wake up in the morning.
Buy an internet-free cell phone. Delay getting teens a smartphone for as long as possible. Two Bonus ideas from other sources: get your child a smart watch designed specifically for kids; Connect with other parents through the Wait Until 8th program.
Delay social media use for as long as possible.
Ask your school to prohibit student use of smartphones during school hours. Dr. Jonathan Haidt presents some great ideas in this article in The Atlantic.
Request schools and after-school activity coordinators not to use social media platforms for school announcements (including extra curricular activities), teacher homework assignments, etc.

Online is "Real Life."

Social Media Harms Student, Journalist References Online IS "Real life"