TALLAHASSEE — Florida lawmakers gathered Tuesday in Tallahassee to advocate for Property Bill 591, legislation that aims to secure juveniles from falling sufferer to cyberbullying and intercourse trafficking.
Citing a rise in the amount of minors struggling from anxiousness and despair, Point out Rep. Michele Rayner-Goolsby, Rep. Tyler Sirois and Condition Sen. Shevrin Jones sponsored the monthly bill to safeguard the youth from on the internet harassment.
Jena McClure, a mom of 3, explained she supports the implementation of this bill immediately after witnessing her little ones and their buddies fall sufferer to bullying. She mentioned it occurs normally to youngsters just about everywhere.
In accordance to Pew Investigate, social media is staying consumed at an all-time higher.
The group’s facts found that 95 % of teenagers use YouTube when 67 p.c are on TikTok and 32 % are on Facebook and even much less are on the other platforms.
With exposure to those people mediums, will come a lot more possibilities for minors to put up films displaying times of college students staying bullied and even occasionally attacked.
CBS 4 has documented on numerous fights that have been caught on digicam as pupils had been attacked even though on the college bus.
In New Jersey, a 14-calendar year-aged dedicated suicide after she was jumped, and the online video recording was posted to TikTok.
For McClure, all of it is difficult to enjoy.
“My heart aches for these little ones that are in the middle of the battle, and I consider about the youngsters that are filming. Where’s their coronary heart?” she stated. “You know, what’re they contemplating? Instead of likely obtaining aid, or halting it, they’re filming it for the reason that putting that on social media is going to make them awesome.”
Property invoice 591 would demand: disclaimers, content material moderation characteristics, regulation by the point out Department of Agriculture and Shopper Services.
It would also end state educational facilities from requiring the use of social media for instruction and there would be fines for social media platforms discovered non-compliant.
“It also prohibits social media platforms that fall short to meet up with requirements from accepting new accounts from minors,” Jones explained.
Jones and McClure feel it is up to the grown ups to aid secure kid’s mental well being. This bill, they believe that, is a commence.
“We have to stand guard and protect our small children for the reason that as harmless as social media was created to be, the folks that are on social media are not that innocent,” Jones stated.
If this bill passes as its composed, it will go into effect July 1, 2023. At this time, it can be unclear how considerably revenue it would choose to implement the invoice. However, Jones states they are waiting on a monetary assessment, but the stress would possibly be on the condition or the unique social media platforms.
