10 months ago
Rates of loneliness, anxiety and depression have shot up across America, and social media is “absolutely” one of the causes, Gov. Spencer Cox (R-Utah) says.
“I think it's obvious to anyone who spends any time on social media or has kids — I have four kids. I've seen what's happened to them as they've spent time on social media, and their friends, that this is absolutely causing these terrible increases, these hockey stick-like increases that we are seeing in anxiety, depression, and self-harm amongst our youth,” Cox, the chair of National Governors Association, said during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” that aired Sunday.
Legislation that Utah enacted earlier this year that would require social media users to verify their age in order to access their accounts — putting restrictions on when and how users under 18 could access social media sites — is currently facing legal challenges from a trade group that represents Meta, TikTok and X. First Amendment advocates have also argued the law, which is to go into effect in 2024, infringes on free speech rights.
Cox told NBC’s Kristen Welker he is not impressed by arguments made against Utah's law.
“They know this is harming our kids," Cox said of big tech companies. "They're covering it up. They're doing everything possible to take advantage of our kids for their own gain. And we're not going to stand for that. And so we're still pushing forward.”
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, agreed with Cox on the role social media plays in fueling the mental health crisis in the country. But policing social media use should be left up to parents, Polis said.
“I think the responsibility belongs with parents, not the government,” Polis, the vice chair of the NGA, said during the joint interview with Cox.
“I certainly agree with the diagnosis that Governor Cox did, and I have some sympathy for that approach. But I do think at the end of the day, the government can't parent kids,” he added later.
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