DALLAS — Texas Representative Jared Patterson (R-Frisco) is leading the charge to restrict minors from accessing social media through House Bill 186, a legislative effort aimed at addressing concerns over the mental health and safety of young users.
A father himself, Patterson told Inside Texas Politics his motivation comes from alarming statistics about youth mental health.
“Our kids are killing themselves at a clip that we have never seen before in the history of our state,” Patterson said. “Self-harm rates are through the roof, body image issues among girls are skyrocketing, and we’re seeing rising aggression and porn addiction among boys. The direct correlation is with social media usage over the last decade.”
If passed, House Bill 186 would introduce a three-pronged approach:
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Ban Social Media Accounts for Minors – Social media companies would be prohibited from allowing users under 18 to create accounts. These platforms would be required to implement age verification measures for all users.
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Parental Authority – The bill would grant parents the ability to shut down their child’s social media accounts if they exist.
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State Enforcement – The Texas Attorney General’s office would be given new authority to take action against social media companies that fail to comply with the law.
Patterson compared the proposed regulations to previous legislation targeting pornography sites, where similar age-verification measures were enacted.
“We shut down the largest pornography website in the world by requiring age verification,” Patterson said. “Social media should be held to the same standard.”
Critics of the bill argue that such restrictions infringe upon free speech and parental rights. However, Patterson sees the legislation as a necessary step to protect children from harmful, addictive behaviors.
“The state has an obligation to protect children from addiction—whether it’s gambling, drugs, alcohol, or tobacco,” he said. “Social media is the cigarette of this generation.”
He cited warnings from the U.S. Surgeon General about the harmful effects of social media on minors, adding that just like cigarette warnings, similar precautions should be taken for digital platforms.
“We don’t allow children to smoke because it’s harmful and addictive,” Patterson said. “Social media is just as dangerous.”
A key concern about the bill is whether minors will still find ways to bypass restrictions. Patterson reassures that enforcement mechanisms would be similar to those used in the pornography industry.
“If social media companies are caught allowing minors to access their platforms, the Attorney General has the authority to go after them,” he stated firmly. “We are going to protect Texas children.”
Patterson stated he would be open to adjusting the age requirement if the bill were close to passing both House and Senate chambers.