A statue on the first floor of the state Capitol.
The "Genius of Connecticut" under the dome of the state Capitol. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org

On Tuesday, legislators heard testimony on a bill that would require parental consent for social media use for anyone 16 or younger. 

“While social media can be a positive, it can also do harm,” Sen. James Maroney (D-Milford), Senate Chair of the Higher Education Committee, said. “We need to protect our children with the increased access they have to the online world.”

Multiple bills have been proposed this year to address the mental health of young people, which experts say can be negatively impacted by social media use.

Jessica is CT Mirror's Emma Bowen Foundation general assignment reporter for the 2022 / 2023 academic year. She is currently a senior at Central Connecticut State University pursuing her bachelor’s degree in journalism. She also works at her school’s newspaper, The Recorder, and peer mentored first-year undergraduates at Central. Jessica is a Connecticut native through and through.