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Florida lawmakers advanced a bill that would prohibit social media platforms from allowing young teens to have an account while requiring everyone else to verify their age.↵
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The measure prohibits anyone under 16 from creating a new social media account and requires platforms to delete existing accounts held by minors who are younger than 16. It also would require social media companies to delete any personal information from the accounts. These dopamine hits from social media are so addictive, Fiona McFarland, a state lawmaker said. "And even the most plugged-in parent or attuned teen has a hard time shutting the door against these addictive features. Vivek Murthy, the US surgeon general, released a warning last year about the dangers of social media for kids. While he said more research was needed to fully understand the effects, there are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents. The bill does not name which platforms specifically the bill would apply to but says it would apply to anything that utilizes addictive, harmful, or deceptive design features, or any other feature that is designed to cause an account holder to have an excessive need to use the social media platform.↵
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Florida is one of several states that has taken action recently to limit teenagers' exposure to social media. Last year, Utah became the first state in the country to ban people under 18 from using social media without consent from a guardian. The state also prohibits minors from using a social media account from 10:30 pm to 6:30 am.