Texas Follows Australia’s Lead In Attempt To Ban Minors From Social Media

I have a friend who has been to Australia several times. He loves it because "it's a bigger and drunker Texas." Well, that makes sense.

And now, Texas is following the lead of the land down under by attempting to legislate a ban on social media for minors in the Lone Star State. HB186 has passed and will now make its way over to the Senate for consideration.

Why Is Texas Trying To Ban Social Media For Kids?

Anyone who saw the Minecraft movie knows the dangers of social media trends among the "iPad generation." Completely feral kids right there.

But joking aside, many Texas legislators are citing studies that show the mental health harm social media can cause to minors, including increased rates of bullying, self-harm, and even suicide, according to KVUE News.

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Texas State Rep. Jared Patterson said social media is "the most dangerous legal product that children have access to." I find his point difficult to argue.

To hear more from Rep. Jared himself about this issue, check out this recent interview (skip to the 35:32 mark to get right to this particular issue):

As a Millennial, I know I saw far too much harmful content at a young age, but I had to have friends tell me about these creepy websites. It was the late 90s version of "Stand By Me."

But now harmful content is being hyper-served to kids, who might have more "prohibited" content like nudity and violence shoved right into their faces.

What Did Australia Do To Ban Social Media For Minors?

In November of last year, Australia set forth a ban on social media for minors 16 years old and younger, however, they gave social media companies 12 months to adjust their platforms to accommodate the ban, according to the BBC. Tech companies could be fined $35 million for failure to comply.

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This ban does not "grandfather in" already existing minor social media accounts and does not allow for an exemption with parental permission. Social media companies must implement an age verification system to continue operations in Australia.

What Are The Drawbacks Of A Social Media Ban For Minors?

For minors who make money on these platforms, it could cost their families dearly. However, a parent could run the account.

Some minors also use social media to "sell" themselves in other ways, like advertising themselves to colleges and sports teams. And yes, I felt gross typing that out, and maybe that's another reason it should go away.

The more important drawback is the invasion of privacy- age verification systems are yet another way for social media platforms to collect data on us, however, you could argue that ship has long sailed. I'd still prefer Facebook not see my driver's license, though.

Will A Social Media Ban For Kids Even Work?

The most tech-savvy kids will find ways around the ban (cough, VPN, cough), but perhaps any sandbags placed against a flood of B.S. and brainrot are worth it.