Durbin, Hawley push to keep kids safe on social media

WASHINGTON - How young is too young for social media? America's youth could be putting themselves in danger every time they go online.

The uptick in predators, stolen data, and an increased toll on kids' mental health is prompting a bipartisan group of senators to help keep kids safe on social media platforms.

A congressional hearing was held Tuesday on Capitol Hill. The hearing came a day after the CDC released a troubling report that shows 57 percent of teen girls in America feel persistently sad or hopeless. That was across 2021.

Nearly a third indicated they have considered suicide.

SUBSCRIBE TO FOX 32 CHICAGO ON YOUTUBE

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin is the chair of the senate judiciary committee examining the best ways to protect kids and teens.

"It's a lucrative business at the expense of our kids’ privacy, safety and health," said Durbin.

"The effect of these platforms on kids, especially younger kids, and frankly, especially young women, is highly detrimental to their mental health, to their personal sense of self and wellbeing," said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri).

Hawley has introduced the newest pair of bills aimed at protecting youth online. One proposes 16 as the minimum age for using social media at all.