Image: Rep. Aron Maberry presents HB0825 on the TN House floor. Image Credit: Adelia Kirchner / The Tennessee Conservative
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
The Teen Social Media and Internet Safety Act, which requires the Tennessee Department of Education to develop a curriculum to instruct 6-12th grade public school students on social media and internet safety, passed with an 88-4 vote on the House floor on Thursday morning.
House Bill 0825 (HB0825), sponsored by freshman Rep. Aron Maberry (R-Clarksville-District 68), would require this curriculum to include topics like:
- Time management and healthy behaviors on social media
- Potential negative effects of social media on mental health, including social media addiction
- 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 and human trafficking)
- Understanding potential misinformation when using artificial intelligence (AI)
HB0825 also outlines which benefits of social media can be taught as part of this curriculum.
The legislation has garnered bipartisan support with Democrats G.A. Hardaway and Antonio Parkinson, as well as Republicans Renea Jones, Elaine Davis, Jake McCalmon, Bryan Terry, Kelly Keisling, Mary Littleton and Jay Reedy all signing on as co-sponsors of HB0825.
On the House floor, Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville-District 90) asked if the Department of Education had been asked how long it would take for this curriculum to be taught for each different grade level.
“I do appreciate what you’re trying to do,” said Rep. Johnson. “But my concern is, that is a lot that we are adding to the curriculum but we’re not adding any time to teach this.”
Rep. Maberry thanked Rep. Johnson for sharing her concerns and said this was something that he believed to be very important for Tennessee’s youth.
“For those of you who don’t know, I run an after-school program,” said Rep. Maberry. “Our students don’t understand, in large part, how they put their information out there, it’s out there forever. This bill is going to highlight that to them. I’m concerned about our students.”
Rep. Johnny Garrett (R- Goodlettsville-District 45) stood in support of HB0825.
“There’s not a day, not a minute, not a time, that goes by that our kids are not attacked, aren’t targeted for products, for no telling what kind of stuff on social media,” said Rep. Garrett.
“I am absolutely shocked that we believe, that some people in this chamber would believe, that somehow our teachers wouldn’t want to one. learn a little bit of things for themselves and then understand and have a conversation with their students, to realize what they have on their phones…The dangers that that [poses],” Rep. Garrett continued. “I know, I’m confident, I’m encouraged, that I know our teachers across this state know that that’s an important piece of what briefly, what could be discussed inside that classroom.”
Rep. Jake McCalmon (R-Franklin-District 63) also thanked the sponsor for bringing HB0825 and referenced a 2023 surgeon general report regarding the risks of social media.
“It found that adolescents, teens between the age of 13 to 17, that spent more than 3 hours a day on social media have double the risk for depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders,” said Rep. McCalmon.
“When it came to body image and self-appreciation, they found a 46% decrease in how they viewed themselves by using social media,” he continued. “They found also that our kids are using social media on average, 96% on average, 3.5 hours a day. We need to educate our kids about the dangers.”
Representatives voting in favor of HB0825 included Republicans Alexander, Atchley, Barrett, Baum, Boyd, Bricken, Bulso, Burkhart, Butler, Capley, Carringer, Cepicky, Cochran, Crawford, Darby, Davis, Doggett, Eldridge, Faison, Farmer, Garrett, Gillespie, Grills, Hale, Haston, Hawk, Helton-Haynes, Hicks G, Hicks T, Hill, Howell, Hurt, Jones R, Keisling, Kumar, Lafferty, Lamberth, Leatherwood, Littleton, Lynn, Maberry, Marsh, Martin B, Martin G, McCalmon, Moody, Moon, Powers, Raper, Reedy, Reeves, Reneau, Rudd, Rudder, Russell, Scarbrough, Sherrell, Slater, Sparks, Stevens, Stinnett, Terry, Todd, Travis, Vaughan, Vital, Warner, White, Williams, Wright, Zachary, and Speaker Sexton, as well as Democrats Chism, Clemmons, Freeman, Glynn, Hakeem, Hardaway, Hemmer, McKenzie, Miller, Mitchell, Love, Parkinson, Pearson, Powell, Shaw, and Towns.
Democrat Representatives Dixie, Johnson, Jones J, and Salinas voted against the legislation.
Republican Representatives Fritts and Hulsey, and Democrat Representative Brooks marked themselves as “present and not voting.”
The companion Senate Bill 811 (SB0811), sponsored by Sen. Bill Powers (R- Clarksville-District 22), previously received a unanimous vote in the Senate Education Committee and it will soon be scheduled for a vote on the Senate floor.
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. Adelia is The Tennessee Conservative’s on-site reporter for the Tennessee General Assembly. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
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