Texas state Representative Jared Patterson stated that he intends to introduce legislation that would ban anyone under the age of 18 from using social media.
“I’ll be introducing legislation next session to ban minors from using social media,” the Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives tweeted on Tuesday. “It’s long past time to recognize the incredible harm social media is doing to the mental health of young Texans. Next session, we put an end to it”.
Mr Patterson made his promise to “put an end” to social media access for minors while retweeting an article that argued for the same cause, written on The Cannon Online, a project that is funded by the conservative think tank The Texas Public Policy Foundation.
“It’s time to save kids from social media,” writes Zach Whiting, the author of the article and a senior technology fellow at the conservative think tank.
“States place age-restrictions on numerous behaviors, such as driving, voting, smoking, drinking and entering into a valid contract,” Mr Whiting writes, arguing that Texas should become “the national leader” on the issue of banning access to so-called “destructive” online platforms for children and teens.
Mr Whiting argues that his proposition of placing age restrictions on the use of Big Tech’s apps is not a wholly novel idea, citing columns that were written in both the Wall Street Journal and National Review that argue for the same cause.
“The law is a blunt instrument for solving complicated social problems, and yet sometimes it is the only one at hand,” wrote Christina Rosen, a fellow at the University of Virginia’s Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, in her National Review article titled “Ban Kids from Social Media”. “Social media use should be limited by law to adults, or at the very least to people 16 years old and older.”
Originally, when the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) was introduced, US Sen Ed Markey of Massachusetts, who was one of the sponsors of the law, had argued that the age for digital consent should be set at 16.
However, according to a Wall Street Journal article about the law’s passage, Sen Markey’s age of consent was later adjusted to 13, after reportedly being pressured from technology companies and civil rights groups who argued that forcing teens to require permission from their parents to use social media apps before the age of 16 might curtail their ability to access information and resources about birth control and abortion.
Seen in the light of the recent Roe v Wade reversal, Rep Patterson’s suggestion to pass a law that would prevent minors from accessing social media would likely reignite those concerns raised by civil rights groups advocating for a higher age of consent more than 20 years ago when COPPA was passed.
And with a Texas Supreme Court announcing just last week that it would allow a 1925 law banning abortion to take effect immediately, a ban on social media in the Lone Star State for young people seeking information and resources about abortion could add yet another barrier to accessing the services that were, before Roe was overturned, constitutionally protected for nearly half a century.
Though it’s unclear whether this is an intended side effect of Rep Patterson’s plans to introduce the legislation that would ban social media access for minors, the Republican representative is an avowed pro-life politician.
Nine months to the day after the Texas Heartbeat Act became law, the Republican politician attended a pro-life event hosted by Texas Values, an Austin-based advocacy group that says it "speaks up for faith, family, and freedom through public policy”, where he celebrated the “BIRTH” of the law that bans abortion after the detection of foetal cardiac activity, which normally happens at six weeks of pregnancy.
“Happy BIRTH Day! The Texas Heartbeat Act became law 9 months ago today, saving thousands of innocent lives. There are babies being born today as a result of our efforts last session and because brave moms are rejecting the coercion of the abortion industry and choosing life!” tweeted Rep Patterson on 1 June.
Rep Patterson, who assumed office on 8 January 2019, is currently running for reelection to represent District 106 after he advanced in the Republican primary on 1 March.
