In a sweeping move to address growing concerns over the mental health impact of social media on young people, the Texas House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill that would ban individuals under 18 from using social media platforms. The bill, known as House Bill 186, passed with a 116-25 vote and now heads to the Texas Senate for further consideration.
The bill, authored by Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco), would require social media companies to verify the age of users upon sign-up. Companies that fail to comply with the verification process or refuse to remove accounts of minors upon parental request could face enforcement from the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
Rep. Patterson compared social media to tobacco, calling it “the modern-day cigarette” in terms of its addictive nature and long-term harm to youth. “I think that we are going to wake up at some point in this country and realize what we have done to an entire generation of kids that are on this highly-addictive product called social media,” he said during the House debate.
Patterson cited studies linking social media use to increased rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, eating disorders, and suicide among teens. He highlighted a particularly alarming statistic: suicides have increased by 91% for boys and 167% for girls in recent years figures he says correlate directly with rising social media access among children and teens. “I am so proud to take a huge leap forward today on behalf of all Texas children,” Patterson said. “This is the first and most significant step made to protect our kids from the most dangerous product they have legal access to in Texas.”
While the bill received bipartisan support, opponents voiced concerns about its potential overreach and the impact on privacy for all users, including adults. Rep. Erin Zweiner questioned whether the bill would inadvertently increase the amount of personal data collected by tech companies. “What about the concern that this is helping these social media companies collect even more data on us?” she asked. Patterson responded that most users already provide such data to create accounts, suggesting that age verification mechanisms wouldn’t represent a major shift in platform behavior.
Under HB 186, social media companies would be required to delete accounts of minors at the request of a parent or guardian. Failure to verify age or comply with account deletion requests could result in civil penalties enforced by the Texas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, categorized under deceptive trade practices. The law would not only impose new obligations on social media platforms but also expand the state’s role in digital oversight—something critics say could lead to unintended consequences in both enforcement and personal freedoms.
Supporters of HB 186 argue that existing federal regulations, like the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) passed in 1998, are outdated. COPPA sets a minimum age of 13 for creating online accounts and gives parents some control over the personal data collected from children. However, Texas lawmakers believe that in the face of modern digital threats, especially those posed by algorithm-driven platforms, stricter and more state-specific protections are needed.
If the Texas Senate approves the bill, it would make Texas the first state in the U.S. to enforce a blanket ban on social media use for all minors under 18. Would you like a visual chart showing the rise in teen mental health issues vs. social media adoption over the years?
