The push is being led in part by parents who say the risks of social media extend far beyond screen time and online bullying. Samuel Chapman, chief executive of Parent Collective Inc., has become an advocate for stronger social media safeguards after the death of his 16-year-old son, Sammy.

Chapman has said there were no obvious warning signs before his son died. Like many parents, he believed the greatest dangers facing his child were the visible ones — unsafe driving, street drugs or encounters with strangers outside the home. He said he stayed involved, asked questions and tried to set boundaries.

But the threat that reached his family came through a social media app. According to Chapman, a drug dealer contacted Sammy through Snapchat and delivered a counterfeit pill to the family’s home after the parents had gone to sleep. The pill contained a fatal amount of fentanyl.

His story underscores a concern increasingly shared by parents across California, including in Southern California and the Inland Empire: social media platforms give young teenagers access to fast, private and sometimes anonymous communication systems that can be difficult for adults to monitor.

Those tools can help young people stay connected, but advocates for tighter regulation say they also expose children to dangers they may not be mature enough to recognize or manage.

State lawmakers are considering Assembly Bill 1709, authored by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, which would bar children under 16 from creating or keeping accounts on social media platforms that use addictive features. The measure would place enforcement responsibility on the platforms rather than on parents.

Supporters describe the bill as a preventive step rather than a broad restriction on internet access. The proposal would not block children from going online or looking up information. Instead, it would delay their participation in account-based social media systems that rely on personalized feeds, private messaging and engagement-driven design until they are older.

Advocates compare the approach to existing age-based safeguards for driving, alcohol, gambling and firearms, arguing that certain products carry risks that require clear limits for minors.

Parents have long been told that online dangers can be managed through privacy settings, better algorithms or close supervision at home. But critics of the current system say many platforms are built in ways that make meaningful supervision difficult, especially when private messaging, recommendations and easy contact with strangers are central features.

They also argue that the companies behind these platforms benefit financially from keeping users engaged for as long as possible, including young users.

Concerns about children’s mental health have added urgency to the debate. The U.S. Surgeon General has reported that young people who spend more than three hours a day on social media face about twice the risk of symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. Other research has linked heavy social media use among adolescents to increased depressive symptoms, poorer well-being, anxiety, loneliness and lower self-esteem.

Supporters of AB 1709 say the bill does not punish teenagers or impose fines on parents. Instead, they argue, it holds technology companies accountable for the products they design and profit from.

The measure also includes oversight provisions intended to allow the law to adjust as technology and platform features change.

California has frequently positioned itself as a national leader in consumer protection and child safety. Backers of AB 1709 say the state now has an opportunity to set clearer rules for social media platforms used by children, particularly as families continue to grapple with the consequences of online access that can move faster than parental oversight.

Original source: CalMatters

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