A social media safety advocate is emphasizing the need for parents to step up and be the final guardians of their children's use of big technology.
“I just think we need to focus on what's happening to our kids, and it's really time to wake up now,” ScreenStrong founder Melanie Hempe told Fox News Digital on Friday.
Several Big Tech leaders were grilled by lawmakers last week about the dangers of social media during a heated Senate hearing.
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The CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X, Snap and Discord testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a hearing that focused on the question of what responsibility platforms should take if, knowingly or unknowingly, they host harmful content, specifically aimed at or exploiting minors.
Hempe, whose nonprofit “empowers families to prevent screen addiction and rescue their children from problematic screen use,” said families need to be educated about the dangers of the platforms rather than relying on them. of big technologies to change their products.
“I think families need to be educated about what happens on those platforms,” Hempe said. “And we need to structure our children's lives, so that they can live without them. I think it's going to be very difficult to change the platforms and make them child-friendly.“
During the hearing, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg made a surprise apology to audience members after being pressed by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. Many of those present at the hearing were friends and family who lost loved ones after they unknowingly purchased fentanyl on social media and died, or were victims of eating disorders, self-harm and suicide due to harmful content on social media. social.
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Zuckerberg stood up from his seat and said directly to the audience: “I'm sorry for everything you've been through. No one should have to go through the things their families went through.”
He added that his company will continue to invest in efforts to protect users: “That is why we have invested so much… and we will continue through industry-leading efforts to ensure that we do not [one has] go through what your families have had to suffer.”
Many parents and loved ones in the room were not satisfied with Zuckerberg's “forced” apology.
“It wasn't a matter of accepting because… it wasn't organic. It was forced. It wasn't planned or anything like that,” Christine McComas said on “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Sunday.
McComas was at last week's hearing honoring her teenage daughter, Grace, who committed suicide after being a victim of sexual exploitation and cyberbullying.
“It was surreal to be there. But really, the story is not their excuse. The story is that children are at risk. American children need protection from the different ways that social media platforms operate.”
In response to Zuckerberg's apology, Hempe argued that while the platforms don't “have it figured out,” there are also ways to start taking action without waiting for Big Tech.
“Zuckerberg, I don't know, it's like everyone wants to blame someone,” Hempe said. “And I'm not saying he has it figured out. He doesn't have it figured out. But I don't have time to blame anyone. I have to fix my kids, and I have to fix what's going on in my own house.”
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Hempe argued that the best way to help children avoid the dangers of social media, as well as other developmental problems related to excessive screen use, is to eliminate social media altogether and reduce screen time. .
“Sometimes the best solution is the simplest. And that is to give up social media and not even have smartphones,” he said.
“Social media was never designed for children or teenagers,” he continued. “I think what we know from the science and what I know from all my experience on the front lines with families for 10 years, almost 10 years that I've been talking to families and helping them reduce their use of not all screens, “But just problematic screen time, which is video games, social media, and porn. Those three things are the most problematic.”
Lawmakers from both parties appeared to be marching to the beat of the same drum during Wednesday's hearing, emphasizing their belief that Congress should take action to address security concerns and rein in Big Tech.
The Judiciary Committee has already unanimously approved five bills that would put more safeguards on social media apps, such as the ability to opt out of algorithms targeting addicted users, and expand the federal civil cause of action for child victims to sue the companies. platforms that promoted or facilitated exploitation.
Even state leaders are taking action.
The Florida House of Representatives recently passed a bill prohibiting children under 16 from creating accounts on social media platforms (even with parental approval) in an effort to prevent children from growing up “hooked” on social networks.
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While agreeing on regulations is helpful, Hempe warned parents not to “lean too much” on them instead of being their children's guardians.
“No regulation, no matter how big, will eliminate a father's job,” he said. “We have to be very careful not to rely too much on these regulations, because then we as parents start to get lazy. Then we start to think that these regulations will take care of everything.”
“I just want to be very clear in saying that as parents, we should be grateful for any regulations that exist, but we should also be very informed about why our teens and tweens don't need to be on social media at all.”
Fox News' Brianna Herlihy and Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.
