Senate Education Committee Passes Bill Proposing “Teen Social Media and Internet Safety Act” For Tennessee Schools

Image Credit: TN General Assembly

The Tennessee Conservative Staff –

The Senate Education Committee unanimously voted to recommend legislation that would require the Department of Education to develop a curriculum to instruct 6-12^th grade students enrolled in schools in LEAs or public charter schools about social media and internet safety.

Senate Bill 0811 (SB0811), sponsored by Senator Bill Powers (R-Clarksville-District 22), would mandate that Coordinated School Health include instruction created by the department on the following topics:

– Time management and healthy behaviors on social media

– Potential negative effects of social media on mental health, including addiction to social media

– How social media manipulates behavior

– The permanency of sharing materials online

– Safe usage of social media (including maintaining personal security, preventing oversharing, and identifying predatory behaviors & human trafficking)

– Understanding potential misinformation when using artificial intelligence

Additionally, the bill would require that schools block social media platforms on school internet unless those platforms are used for educational purposes.

The companion House Bill 0825 (HB0825), sponsored by State Representative Aron Maberry (R-Clarksville-District 68), has been placed on the House Regular Calendar for Thursday, March 27.