Commonwealth Policy Center

Utah is suing TikTok and is charging the addictive social media app for luring children in for hours on end with its algorithmic content. The lawsuit cited public health concerns, such as the fact that children who spend three hours a day on social media are twice as likely to be anxious or depressed. Utah’s Governor Spencer Cox said that “we will not stand by while these companies fail to take adequate, meaningful action to protect our children.” He’s right. Children are some of the most vulnerable in our society, and we should do all we can to protect them from harmful entertainment that seems, at first sight, to be safe. And as every parent knows, restrictions aren’t necessarily punishment, but are for the child’s own good.