North Texas Representative Jared Patterson (R-Frisco) has introduced House Bill 186, aiming to ban social media use for anyone under 18. Filed on Tuesday, this proposal would prohibit minors in Texas from accessing platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. This isn’t Patterson’s first attempt at such legislation; he proposed a similar bill in a previous session that did not pass.
Patterson emphasizes the potential mental health risks social media poses for young people, particularly as their brains are still developing. “It’s past time that Texas starts putting our kids’ mental health at the same priority that we do their physical health,” he said in a recent interview. He argues that social media has a negative impact on youth mental health, calling for stricter age limits.
The bill has received mixed reactions from parents. Vanessa Bouche, a mother of two teenagers, monitors her daughters’ social media closely and is concerned about their online activity. However, she opposes an outright ban, suggesting that it could drive kids to find covert ways to access social media. She argues that teaching responsible social media use is more practical, as “it’s a part of our culture, part of our society.”
Pamela Paul, a New York Times columnist, takes a different stance. She promotes limiting children’s access to technology, claiming that social media use has little educational or future career benefit and is more driven by the agenda of the tech industry than by actual necessity.
Patterson acknowledges the potential for compromise, expressing a willingness to adjust the age restriction. “If you brought me a bill that said we’ll ban social media for minors under 16, I’d pass it in a heartbeat,” he said, indicating some flexibility in finding a middle ground.