In an effort to protect children from some of the potentially dangerous sides of social media, lawmakers in Minnesota are considering banning what are known as “mommy run” accounts that profit off the involvement and exploitation of children in social media.
An earlier version of the proposal did not ban these types of social media accounts. Instead, it proposed that Minnesota become the second state in the US behind Illinois to require parents who profit off social media videos featuring their children to share the money with their kids. However, after a series of stories published in the New York Times showed just how exploitative these social media accounts can be.
“Thousands of accounts examined by The Times offer disturbing insights into how social media is reshaping childhood, especially for girls, with direct parental encouragement and involvement,” the series stated. “Some parents are the driving force behind the sale of photos, exclusive chat sessions and even the girls’ worn leotards and cheer outfits to mostly unknown followers.”
Minor Social Media Ban
After the series was released, Rep. Zack Stephenson and Sen. Erin Maye Quade realized that their proposals didn’t go far enough. Amended versions of their proposals state that no Minnesota-based social media could make money from videos featuring children under the age of 14. The proposal would effectively consider taking part in social media content creation among the many jobs that children under 14 are not allowed to perform under state law.
Additionally, the bill creates a mechanism for children featured in photos and videos posted on a parent or guardian’s social media to demand that images be taken down once they turn 14.
“Children have a right to have childhoods free of working, just like they do for pretty much every industry,” Maye Quade told the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday. “This is targeting content creation that generates compensation at a really high level: your super influencers, your family vlogging channels that have 12 million followers. The kid that does streaming videos and makes 50 bucks, that’s not included.”
There are certainly some dark sides to social media and the internet at large, but it will be interesting to see if these proposals gain any traction. While it makes sense that there should be some regulation and oversight to ensure that minors are not being exploited, is a blanket ban on monetized social media content involving minors the best solution? The proposals are rooted in good intentions, but it seems unlikely that the majority of lawmakers will agree to such major social media regulations. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a more gradual set of regulations be put in place, but we have yet to check out the full piece by The New York Times, so perhaps the problem is much worse than we realize. We’ll keep tabs on the proposals as they make their way towards becoming law.
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