SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane leaders are urging federal lawmakers to pass stronger internet protections for children. They're pressing for passage of the bi-partisan 'Kids Online Safety Act.'
Taj Jensen says he knows the impact of social media influence on children and teens.
"We lost a kid or our son tanner to the impact of social media on him," Jensen said.
Jensen says his son, Tanner, was a bright light in his life. He's now urging lawmakers to quickly pass the Kids Online Safety Act.
"To help other parents inform parents, so they don't have to go through the same tragedy that our family has gone through and others that we work with across the nation," Jensen said.
Variations of the Kids Online Safety Act have been in talks for more than a decade. It wasn't until Tuesday that the House of Representatives introduced a KOSA bill.
"I'm really hoping that it limits harmful content from being available to our kids," Debra Raub said.
Raub is the executive director of Communities in Schools of Spokane County. One of four leaders and advocates who called on congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers to quickly advance KOSA in the house. She's noticed the impact social media has on students.
"Definitely an increase in aggression," Raub said. "We've noticed even at a young age, kids start to align with each other based on who they're following on the internet."
The Kids Online Safety Act will help regulate social media platforms by allowing parents to control the content that their children see.
"We've done nothing to safeguard our kids with how fast our technology and these platforms are popping up," Chauntelle Lieske said.
Lieske is the executive director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Spokane. She says the passage of KOSA will lead to better mental health in children and higher academic performance.
"By putting this in place, it will stop that content from coming onto their screen." Lieske said. "And then, as parents, you can regulate the other side of it as best you can."
Jensen and other community leaders are pushing for KOSA to be a standalone bill.
"When it's a standalone bill, things don't fall off based on the other bills that are attached to it. It has its own power," Jensen said.
There's not yet a timeline for when KOSA could get passed through the House.
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