Ron DeSantis has taken plenty of flak from the Left for his bold conservative agenda.
Now one of his landmark policies is getting some surprising support.
And a left-wing professor praised Ron DeSantis for one reason no one ever saw coming.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill to protect children from Big Tech’s social media platforms.
The bill requires that 14 and 15-year-olds get parental consent to make or use an account on social media.
Children under the age of 14 would be banned from creating social media accounts in Florida.
Big Tech companies that do not comply with the law could face fines.
Putting strict rules on the use of social media by minors earned the Florida Governor a surprising fan.
College professor touts DeSantis’ social media bill
Fairleigh Dickinson University associate professor of communication Kara Alaimo said that DeSantis’ social media bill for minors should be a “model for the nation.”
Alaimo identifies as a progressive Democrat, but she called the legislation “brilliant.”
“As a progressive, I never thought I’d write this sentence: A law just signed by Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is brilliant — and should be a model for the nation,” Alaimo wrote in a piece for CNN.
Alaimo authored a book on the toxic effects of social media called Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic For Women and Girls — And How We Can Take It Back.
She said that the law would protect kids from predators online and especially girls from the worst effects of social media.
“Young kids simply shouldn’t be on social media, but it’s extremely difficult for individual parents to enforce such rules on their own,” Alaimo states. “Florida’s new law keeps young people away from the many harms they face online — from predators to content that can be incredibly dangerous to their mental health. This law is truly a friend to parents of all political persuasions.”
Alaimo said the law takes away the battle over social media usage with their children.
“Banning social media use altogether through age 13 will brilliantly take this pressure off parents, and maybe even give kids aged 14-15 an excuse to give their friends for why they’re not on social media — ‘my awful parents didn’t give me permission,’” Alaimo explained.
Girls are a target on social media
The college professor said that girls are a target of cyberbullying on social media, with disastrous effects on their self-confidence.
“Girls tend to care more about being socially connected, so they typically spend more time on social networks, which leaves them particularly vulnerable to all the harms they experience on them — from cyberbullying to feelings of exclusion when they see pictures of the parties to which they weren’t invited,” Alaimo said.
Ron DeSantis’ attempt to protect kids from social media is an issue that can draw bipartisan support.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
