In the US, measures have been taken to intervene in the
uncontrolled use of social media by young people. Two states have taken action
to protect young people from the potential harms of social media.
The question of whether social media threatens privacy or
negatively affects children and young people has been debated for a long time.
Two states in the US, Utah and Arkansas, have taken action
against social media, which has become an indispensable part of daily life, by
adopting regulations that impose serious restrictions on social media use for
those under the age of 18.
The regulation limits the use of social media and blocks
algorithmic advertisements aimed at them for those under the age of 18 between
the hours of 10:30 pm and 6:30 am.
The aim of the regulation is to prevent social media addiction
and exploitation.
Those under the age of 18 will need parental approval to create
social media accounts, and parents will also have access to their children's
accounts as they wish.
Regulations aimed at protecting minors from issues such as
social media addiction, exploitation, and advertising have also been
criticized.
A US digital think tank has claimed that the regulations will
make user data less secure and violate privacy.
Experts say that if legal regulations regarding social media use
are not introduced throughout the country, other states may follow Utah and
Arkansas.