Pass the Kids Online Safety Act!
US Senate, US House of Representatives
8 in 10 youth mental health specialists say that social media is fueling a mental health crisis among young people.1 The hours our kids spend online each day put them at higher risk for anxiety, depression, eating disorders, low self-esteem, and other mental health issues. It exposes them to everything from cyberbullying to adult strangers to dangerous challenges.
This isn’t a coincidence; it’s by design. Addictive design features and algorithms keep children online as long as possible, sucking them into rabbit holes of harmful content.
It shouldn’t be this way. Every other product our children use – from car seats to pajamas to dolls – is regulated by strict safety standards. Social media, something many kids use every day, is almost entirely unregulated.
The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) is a bipartisan bill that would require social media companies to design their platforms to put children’s safety ahead of profits. That means identifying and mitigating harms kids are exposed to, giving parents better reporting tools, and turning children’s privacy protections to the highest settings by default.
Without real change to the platforms, kids will continue to pay with their wellbeing. Families need Congress to act. Sign to tell your senators and representatives: pass the Kids Online Safety Act!
1. 2023 Dove Self-Esteem Project Research for Kids Online Safety
Sponsored by
To:
US Senate, US House of Representatives
From:
[Your Name]
I am writing to urge you to pass the Kids Online Safety Act.
Digital platforms have become vital spaces for learning, socializing, and entertainment for children and teens. Yet, young people and their developmental vulnerabilities are being targeted in unfair ways by these same digital platforms.
Report after report has linked the pressure to spend more time on digital media platforms with the growing mental health crisis in young people, increased risk of sexual predation, and decreased overall wellbeing in kids and teens.
Children and teens should be able to engage freely with the digital environment without being manipulated into spending more time online, spending more money, watching ads targeted to their vulnerabilities, surrendering more data, or engaging with content that undermines their wellbeing.
Without real change to the platforms, kids will continue to pay with their wellbeing. Families need Congress to act. I urge you to support KOSA to help make the internet safer for kids.