JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a controversial bill into law that bans certain minors from having social media accounts.
Under HB 3, which won't take effect until January of next year, children under 14 are prohibited from having their own accounts, while kids 14 and 15 must have parental permission to open an account.
"Being buried in those devices all day is not the best way to grow up. It's not the best way to get a good education," DeSantis said Monday during a news conference in Jacksonville.
WATCH: Florida's governor speaks about social media ban
Republican House Speaker Paul Renner said the law doesn't single out any specific social media site by name, only saying the sites in question must have "addictive features" like an algorithm that encourages children to remain on the site for longer periods of time, infinite scrolling, "like" buttons, as well as sites that allow uploading and downloading content.
"We know from law enforcement, we know from our prosecutors that social media is the primary platform in which children are trafficked. In which pedophiles pretending to be children come after our children. And that more crimes against children happen on these platforms than on any other venue. We know that," Renner said.
READ: Social media ban on minors
According to the state legislature website, the law passed with only nine votes against the bill. Critics have said the law could potentially violate free speech.
In a written statement, Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said the law "runs contrary to a Supreme Court precedent and tells Florida families how to parent."
"Though I agree more needs to be done in protecting our youth on social media, this bill goes too far in taking away parents' rights and banning social media usage -- and thus First Amendment Rights — for young Floridians," Eskamani said. "Instead of banning social media access, it would be better to ensure improved parental oversight tools, improved access to data to stop bad actors, alongside major investments in Florida’s mental health systems and programs."
Renner on Monday said the law does not target free speech, but instead focuses on addiction and role social media plays in depression, hopelessness, loneliness, thoughts of suicide, self-harm and body image issues in minors.
Lawmakers acknowledge there are a lot more obstacles for parents these days. Things like digital devices and screen time are dominating household conversations, and lawmakers hope this law will make a difference.
Ryan Hamlin is glad 3-year-old Cora's No. 1 concern is ice cream, but knows bigger worries are on the way the older she gets, like social media.
"I think it's gotten kind of out of control, to be honest," Hamlin said. "I'm on it too much. And as far as the younger generation, they just need to get outside more."
But is a new state law the right way to make a change?
"As far as regulating stuff, I don't know how I feel about that," Hamlin said.
The law bans children under 14 from having social media accounts on platforms considered to have addictive qualities. Fourteen- and 15-year-olds need parental consent.
"It's going to be hard. This is hard," Sen. Erin Rrall, R-Fort Pierce said. "They have made our parenting difficult by addicting our children."
But exactly what platforms are included and how they will verify users and obtain that parent permission are not spelled out in the law.
During the governor's 30-minute bill signing Monday, it was never mentioned how the law would be enforced, but the social media platforms themselves would be held responsible.
"There is no bill powerful enough to keep these kids from social media. It's not possible," parent Tara Smith said.
Parents told WPTV education reporter Stephanie Susskind they feel the control needs to be in their hands.
"With technology, that's all they want to do. It's unfortunate," mom Yuli Cudilleiro said.
Cudilleiro brought her 9-year-old daughter, Samantha, to enjoy the fresh air on her day off of school Monday.
"I don't think they should be on Facebook and Twitter and all that stuff," Cudilleiro said. "They are too young for that. And I try to control with her friends and what she does and who she's friends with. Its dangerous."
Cudilleiro doesn't mind a law to help remove her daughter's online presence.
"I will cancel her account. I will. But she knows she has to be responsible. That's why I take her to the playground today, get ice cream. It's my day off, too," Cudilleiro said.
Dr. Carrie Longest, who is a licensed mental health counselor specializing in children, said social media creates stress and anxiety within kids. She said parents should look for signs within their kids before removing social media accounts.
"You're going to look for increased anxiety, increased possible depression, isolation, changes in behavior that are not typical of your child," Longest told WPTV reporter Ethan Stein. "So anything that would shift what you know of your child."
She argued self-policing strategies, like scheduling times without screens, could stop the negative effects of social media more than a complete ban because kids could still likely create accounts and stay online.
A TikTok spokesperson sent the following statement to WPTV about the company's broader work to support the safety and well-being of people rather than any specific legislation:
"TikTok has industry-leading safeguards to support teens' well-being, including age-restricted features, parental controls, an automatic 60-minute time limit for users under 18, and more. Ensuring the well-being of our community has no finish line, and we continue working to keep our platform safe by tackling industry-wide challenges."
