Social media websites and apps should have verifiable age restrictions to protect children

Social media websites and apps should have verifiable age restrictions to protect children
Social media has undoubtedly changed the way our world works. While there are positive impacts of social media on society, from the way it has become a platform to grow small businesses to how connected the world has become, there are many dangers to it as well. According to well documented research, social media has impacted the way children's minds work. It has been a driving force of why there are a startling number of increased eating disorders, bullying, anxiety, depression, and even suicides. Social media websites like FaceBook, Instagram, and TikTok have the ability to protect children from these dangers. While it is impossible to monitor every post, interaction, and person on social media, it is necessary that these companies add verifiable age restrictions to use their websites. Even though many websites require that children be 13 or older, it is easy to lie and circumvent those restrictions. A method needs to be implemented in all social media applications to validate the user's age, so that we can protect the most vulnerable members of our society. Please sign and share this petition, so we can bring it to companies like Facebook, TikTok, and Snapchat to bring forth this necessary change.