A state law restricting kids’ access to social media sounds like something that a lot of parents would welcome.

But when Florida legislators weighed in with a proposal this session, they managed to wind up in a strange spot: trampling upon the very parental rights they supposedly have been vigorously defending for the past few years.

At issue is House Bill 1, a priority of House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast. It would prohibit children under 16 from using most social media platforms, regardless of parental approval. It would revoke existing accounts belonging to those children, delete the information from those accounts and require platforms to use age-verification methods to check users’ ages.

Who wouldn’t want to shield kids from the worst influences on social media? There’s so much awfulness out there, on TikTok and Snapchat and Instagram and YouTube and X and other platforms. Bullying, inappropriate content, unrealistic physical standards and hate speech abound. Children should not be subjected to that.

Mental health risks

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has spoken up, warning of growing evidence that “social media use is associated with harm to young people’s mental health.”

But also at children’s fingertips on those same platforms are vast educational resources on millions of topics, needed social support in times of trouble — especially for kids who can’t find it at home — sparks to creativity, ways to make money and, yes, actual fun. And keeping up with digital advances now, which come faster and faster, will be critical to their tech-savviness and an ability to succeed later in college and the work world.

Given the pluses and minuses of children’s social media exposure, it seems obvious that parents would need to be involved. And yet Florida’s lawmakers cut them out of the equation completely.

Florida is not alone in trying to legislate social media controls. Other states have tried, with some, including California, landing in court.

Free speech concerns

The legal problems these proposals face aren’t small. Laws restricting children’s access may run afoul of First Amendment free speech protections. And in Florida, there’s also the potent issue of parental rights.

Parental rights has been a centerpiece of the DeSantis administration, and Florida is now grappling with the consequences. Thousands of books have been pulled from school shelves because some parents and conservative groups found them objectionable.

This growing assertion of parental rights has gotten so out of hand that there’s now a Republican-backed proposal to make it harder to challenge books.

In 2022, the Parental Rights in Education law, reviled by its many critics as “Don’t say gay,” was a way for conservatives to push back on what they see as liberal teachings in schools, especially when it comes to gender identity and sexuality.

Parents need to decide what their kids are taught in school, the reasoning went — not teachers or school boards.

Selective parental rights

But it’s becoming increasingly apparent that Florida’s brand of parental rights is selective. If you agree with the folks in Tallahassee, then you have those rights. If you disagree, don’t hold your breath waiting.

Think back to the 2023 Florida law that banned children from attending drag shows. Parents weren’t allowed to make that decision themselves; the Legislature made the decision for everyone. (Enforcement of the law has been blocked in court.) Parental rights were conveniently kicked to the curb.

Now we’re talking about restricting social media to, once again, protect kids. HB 1 sailed through the House last week with bipartisan support; it still must be approved by the Senate. A pivotal hearing on the Senate bill (SB 1788) is set for Monday, February 5, in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

In the meantime, Gov. Ron DeSantis — who recently called social media “a net negative for our youth, without question” — has expressed legal concerns about the bill. It will need to “evolve,” he said, adding that he wants to “empower parents.”

DeSantis may be talking about empowering parents now, but he had no issue with ignoring parental rights when it came to drag shows a year ago.

There are legitimate reasons to protect kids from social media. But, besides being potentially unconstitutional, HB 1 exposes the Legislature’s inconsistency on parental rights, making it look like it’s more about control than empowering parents.

This editorial was adapted from an editorial by the Miami Herald. The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Opinion Editor Dan Sweeney, editorial writer Martin Dyckman and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Editorials are the opinion of the Board and written by its members or a designee. To contact us, email at .