California Bill Would Allow Parents To Sue Social Media Platforms For Kids’

California Bill Would Allow Parents To Sue Social Media Platforms For Kids’ Addictions

Written By Dannie McIntire

The California Assembly passed a measure Monday that would allow parents to sue social media companies for up to $25,000 per violation if their child becomes addicted to media platforms. The proposed law now goes to the California state senate for additional hearings and would go into effect in January 2023 if passed. 

I have a better idea, why doesn’t the California legislature pass a simpler law requiring a parent to actually be a “parent”. If your child is obsessed with and spending too many hours on social media whose fault is that?

It’s not the media site’s fault, it’s not the child’s fault, the blame lies squarely with the “parenting”. If your child is spending too much time on social media sites, limit their time on such sites, and if necessary take their device away, it’s as simple as that!   

Unfortunately, this malady is not only affecting our children. I can’t count the number of instances I’ve been in a restaurant and observed a family out to enjoy a meal together, everyone in the family with a cell phone in hand with hardly a glance or word was spoken to one another.  How often have you seen a group of apparent friends out together, each one in their own little world glued to their cell phones, with little or no conversation between them?

The art of conversation is being replaced by texting. Now I’m hoping my wife doesn’t read this article. I’ve heard her cell phone “dinging” constantly to the point I think an ice cream truck must be driving by. Me-“who is texting”, wife-“Oh I’m texting with my sister”, Me-“why don’t you just call her”, wife-“angry stare at my intrusion into her texting”. 

Don’t even get me started on when my wife has a group text going with her “Bunco Girls”, the sound effects are equal to listening to a “lightsaber” fight in “Star Wars”. 

Don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate the world of technology we are now living in, however, sometimes it does seem to upset the rules of the universe. Adults should be the teacher, I recall the look on my wife’s face when her then seven-year-old great-niece Grace asked quizzically, “Auntie L, why are you typing, just speak into the phone like this and it will do the text for you”, her expression was “WHAT”! But then at age 68, my wife is still trying to learn how to Cha Cha, I wonder if technology can help with that.  

when her then seven-year-old great-niece Grace asked quizzically, “Auntie L, why are you typing, just speak into the phone like this and it will do the text for you”, her expression was “WHAT”! But then at age 68, my wife is still trying to learn how to Cha Cha, I wonder if technology can help with that.