Congress, pass Protecting Kids Act to keep children safe from dangers of social media

The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act is designed to shield young people who don’t have the critical thinking skills to navigate content targeted by social media algorithms. (Tracy Le Blanc/Pexels)

As both a former founder/CEO of several global social media companies, and as a father, I know too well that social media is no place for young children. Every social media executive I know feels the same. We are zealots about keeping our kids out of the arena.

On June 13, Texas banned minors from social media without parental consent, following several other states that recently passed similar legislation. This follows the May 23 public advisory, by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, affirming my sentiments with his warning that social media has a “profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.” Murthy called on lawmakers, tech companies and parents to “urgently take action.”