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Florida Signs Bill Banning Minors from Social Media

April 03, 2024

8

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Repeat each word, definition, and example sentence after your tutor.

Noun

ˌlɛdʒɪsˈleɪʃən

laws considered as a group

The new legislation aims to protect the interests of small farmers against large corporations.

Adjective

əˈdɪktɪv

(of a drug, activity, etc.) very difficult to stop doing or using

I deleted all my social media accounts after I realized how addictive they were.

Verb

wɪθˈstænd

to be strong enough to be able to survive or handle something

The bridge is designed to withstand earthquakes, which are common in the region.

Verb

ɪnˈfrɪndʒ

to break a law, rule, etc.

In 2009, luxury fashion brand Gucci sued Guess for infringing on several of its trademarks.

Noun

ˈɑːbstəkəl

something that blocks or prevents movement or progress

As a team, we have overcome all of the obstacles we've faced this year.

unconstitutional

Adjective

ˌʌnˌkɑːnstɪˈtuːʃənl

not in accordance with the fundamental rules or principles around which a country is governed

In 1954, segregation in public schools was deemed unconstitutional in the US.

Read the article aloud on your own or repeat each paragraph after your tutor.

AI Generated Audio––:–– / ––:––

Florida Signs Bill Banning Minors from Social Media

Florida will have one of the most restrictive social media bans for minors in the US — if it withstands expected legal challenges — under a bill signed by Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on March 25.

The bill will ban social media accounts for children under 14 and require parental permission for 14- and 15-year-olds.

The new law was Republican Speaker Paul Renner's top legislative priority. It takes effect on January 1.

Several states have considered similar legislation.

At a signing ceremony, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said being a dad has informed his views on the bill, known as Florida House Bill 3.

Renner said he expects social media companies to take legal action "the second after this is signed. But you know what? We're going to beat them. We're going to beat them and we're never, ever going to stop."

Supporters in Florida hope the bill will withstand legal challenges because it would ban social media formats based on addictive features such as alert notifications and auto-play videos, rather than on their content.

However, DeSantis also acknowledged that the law will be challenged on First Amendment issues, which protects freedom of expression.

Khara Boender, a state policy director for the Computer & Communications Industry Association, said in a news release that she understands the concern for online safety but expressed doubt the law will "meaningfully achieve those goals without infringing on the First Amendment rights of younger users."

She also expected a legal challenge.

"This law could create substantial obstacles for young people seeking access to online information, a right afforded to all Americans," Boender said.

The bill was passed with some Democrats joining a majority of Republicans who supported the measure. Opponents argued it is unconstitutional and the government shouldn't interfere with decisions parents make with their children.

"This bill goes too far in taking away parents' rights," Democratic Representative Anna Eskamani said in a news release.

Have a discussion based on the following questions.

1.

What are your thoughts on Florida's new bill?

2.

Do you think children under 14 should be allowed to use social media?

3.

Do you think Florida's ban infringes on people's freedom of expression?

4.

Do you agree with Anna Eskamani that the ban takes away parents' rights?

5.

Does your country have any laws restricting children's access to social media? Do you think it should?

Further Discussion

Have a discussion based on the following questions.

1.

How old were you when you first started using social media?

2.

What was the first social media platform you used?

3.

What aspects of social media do you find addictive?

4.

Have you thought about deleting any of your social media accounts?

5.

There is no such thing as social media, there is only unsocial media. ― Abhijit Naskar. What do you think Naskar means by this?

Parts of this lesson are based on:

An article by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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