New law aims to protect minors on social media
Part of what the new law will do is have the social media companies prohibit overnight notifications for kids between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m., so their sleep is less likely to be interrupted.
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The Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) For Kids Act aims to protect kids from harmful and addictive content on social media.
Starting in 2026, it will force companies like Meta and TikTok to block addictive algorithmic feeds for minors without parental consent.
"The algorithms are designed to create dependency. A depends-like substance use or gambling. It can be very, very dangerous," said Colleen Merlo, CEO of the Association for Mental Health and Wellness.
Merlo, who works with families on mental health issues and sees the effects of too much social media, advocated for this law.
She says kids who spend three hours or more on the internet are twice as likely to develop anxiety or depression.
Part of what the new law will do is have the social media companies prohibit overnight notifications for kids between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m., so their sleep is less likely to be interrupted.
Even with the new restrictions, parents are still encouraged to talk to their kids.
"Your kids are hanging out with whomever they're spending time with online, even though they're not in the same room, and those friends can be supportive and kind and caring, or they can be harmful and dangerous," Merlo said.
News 12 reached out to Meta for comment on the new state law and was waiting to hear back as of Wednesday evening.
