Teen Social Media And Internet Safety Act For Tennessee Schools Passes In The Senate

Image Credit: TN General Assembly

The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

The Teen Social Media and Internet Safety Act passed unanimously in the Senate on Thursday.

In a 26 to 0 vote, Senate Bill 0811 (SB0811), sponsored by Senator Bill Powers (R-Clarksville-District 22) is a rare example of bipartisan legislation in Tennessee.

Having substituted the House Bill for the Senate Bill the legislation will require the Tennessee Department of Education to create guidance for LEAs and public charter schools to instruct 6th-12th grade students on social media and internet safety by the first day of next year.

The bill originally required the department to develop a curriculum, but due to the fiscal impact that would have entailed, the legislation was changed to providing guidelines instead.

Beginning next fall for the 2026-2027 school year, students in grades 6 to 12 must receive instruction on the following topics:

• Time management and healthy behaviors on social media

• The negative effects of social media on mental health, including social media addiction

• How information is distributed on social media

• How social media can manipulate behavior

• Maintaining personal security and preventing personal information from being overshared

• How to identify cyberbullying, predatory behavior, and signs of potential human trafficking

• How to report suspicious behavior to the appropriate authorities

• The importance of evaluating information generated by artificial intelligence (AI) and the potential for misinformation when using AI

• The benefits of social media as it pertains to career and resume building, the sharing with family and friends, and safely connecting with others who share similar interests

In addition, starting this fall with the 2025-2026 school year, each LEA and public charter school will be required to block social media platforms from students using the school’s internet, unless allowed by a teacher for educational purposes.

Schools must also limit content that students can access to that which is age-appropriate, protect the safety and security of students accessing email, chat rooms, and other forms of direct, electronic communication while using school internet, and also block websites, web applications, or software that does not protect the personal information of students.

The corresponding House Bill already passed in the House of Representatives last week which means the legislation will soon make its way to Governor Bill Lee’s desk.

Teen Social Media & Internet Safety Act For Tennessee Schools Passes In House Of Representatives

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.