I am here today not only as a legislator, but also as a dad of two young boys, and that has stuck with me as we’ve worked through this legislative package. When I think back to what life looked like when I was their age compared to what kids are facing today, it’s clear that our kids are facing a whole new set of challenges, and as a parent, that’s incredibly frightening. My wife Ann and I constantly talk about how we can confront those challenges to keep our kids safe, because at the end of the day, that’s all any parent wants: to know their kids are safe, happy, and healthy. But in today’s world, there’s one thing that’s giving us a real run for our money when we’re trying to accomplish that goal, and that is the ever-encroaching presence of technology and social media in our daily lives. This problem is not just facing my family. This is a problem facing families across our entire state today.
Just a few days ago, in fact, I hosted an event on child online safety, and what I heard was heartbreaking. Parents, grandparents, teachers, and social workers all shared stories that point to the same reality: this is a crisis. I heard from a parent who found out her daughter had bypassed the safety controls on school-issued computers to create a TikTok account without her knowledge. Another parent shared a story about her son who had committed suicide and how all she wanted to do was protect other children from facing a similar fate. I heard from teachers who struggle to keep students engaged in the classroom while competing with addictive platforms designed to pull their attention away. And mental health professionals told us they’re seeing more and more young people struggling with anxiety, depression, and self-worth, driven in large part by what they’re consuming online every single day.
Let’s be clear: what we are facing is a public health crisis affecting the mental and emotional well-being of an entire generation. And right now, parents are being asked to fight that battle without the tools they need. Meanwhile, Big Tech companies are profiting using manipulative algorithms that keep kids hooked, while parents are left on the sidelines. This is unacceptable. That’s why we have an opportunity, right now, to be part of the solution with this Kids Over Clicks package. This legislation will put parents back in the driver’s seat, giving them the power to protect their kids online, just as we do in the real world. As a parent, I will not accept anything less. I refuse to raise my children in a world where Big Tech profits at their expense and the expense of their friends and classmates. So, for the sake of parents and children all across the state of Michigan, I ask you to please vote “yes” on this package and let our kids have the safe, happy, and healthy childhood they deserve.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 758, entitled
A bill to establish standards and practices relating to certain online services; to prohibit certain acts and practices by covered online service providers related to certain online services; to provide for the powers and duties of certain state and local governmental officers and entities; to require the promulgation of rules; and to prescribe civil sanctions.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
Senator Hertel offered the following substitute:
Substitute (S-2).
The substitute was adopted, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows: