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January jobs report: Unemployment rate falls to 4%, wages rise more than forecast; Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel; Ten Commandments in public schools debate reaches South Dakota; Virginia ranks among worst states for wage theft; Mexican long-nosed bat makes appearance in Arizona.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Federal legislation aims to protect kids from social media harms

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Wednesday, November 15, 2023   

Pressure is mounting on lawmakers to hold social media companies accountable for algorithms and other practices linked to eating disorders, depression and other serious mental health issues in adolescents and teens.

After a second Facebook, now called Meta, whistleblower recently testified in Congress, advocates are once again asking Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act. The bipartisan bill would establish basic safeguards to protect kids on social media, and provide families with tools and transparency to handle online threats.

Frances Haugen, a member of the Council for Responsible Social Media and a Facebook whistleblower, said parents have been blindsided, and many blame themselves for their child's self-harm or suicide.

"One of the things that I think is really tragic is how we've left parents alone to deal with these, you know, hundreds of billions of dollar companies to keep their kids safe," Haugen stated.

According to the Children's Defense Fund, more than 359,000 children live in West Virginia, and Haugen pointed out the majority use social media on a daily basis.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said nationwide, suicide rates for kids and young adults have jumped more than 60% since 2007.

Haugen explained the legislation would allow teens and parents to have more control over their social media use, including the algorithms driving what types of content a user sees.

"Imagine something as simple as having the right to reset your algorithms?" Haugen emphasized. "Right now, kids have to decide between their past -- you know, all their posts, all their friends -- and being stuck in rabbit holes that threaten their futures."

One poll from the group Citizen Data finds 76% of Americans believe social media companies have a responsibility to design their platforms in a way that protects children's mental health, even if it limits profits.

The social media companies countered they are doing what they can to protect children.


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