Social media got me into college. Don’t cut that resource off for teens | Opinion

The California legislature is on the wrong track with Assembly Bill 1709, a bill to prohibit those under 16 from using certain social media apps — the very platforms I used as a teen that changed my life for the better. The Assembly approved the bill in late May, and now the measure is before the Senate. AB 1709 claims a ban is needed because platforms like TikTok and Instagram are engineered to encourage compulsive use, which some argue can cause diminished attention, depression, anxiety and sleep disruption in young people. AB 1709 prohibits anyone under the age of 16 from creating or maintaining an account on social media platforms that have “addictive features,” like notifications or algorithms meant to encourage further scrolling. Under the bill, the onus is on social media companies to verify the ages of its users. The bill doesn’t say how companies will confirm that users under 16 aren’t on the platform; it just says the companies would be required to implement “reasonable measures” to prevent them from accessing or using accounts.

More data to Big Tech

Proponents of the law claim that it will protect children from the online harms caused by social media. But it will do the opposite: It will all social media users — including young people — by handing tons more personal data to Big Tech. Under the pretense of keeping children safe from the menace of social media, AB 1709 requires everyone to surrender their data to the same companies the legislature claims they’re fighting. Social media companies will have to implement age gates to prevent those under 16 from using their platforms, possibly requiring everyone to submit government-issued IDs, divulging information that would include age as well as addresses, driver’s license numbers and physical characteristics.

Big Tech companies like Meta might require all Californians, regardless of whether they are younger than 16, to show a credit card or submit biometric information like a fingerprint just to access their favorite Facebook groups or see the latest photos of far-away family members. Under the bill, platforms can keep this data for an undefined “minimum period” of time necessary to complete the age verification process.

Social media changed my life

AB 1709 censors young people and robs them of access to information that can change their lives. I started using social media as a child and, as I entered my teens, changed my life for the better. As a middle schooler in the 2010s, I taught myself clay sculpting by watching YouTube tutorials and posted my craft to Instagram. By the time I was 14, I was a pro at leveraging online platforms to pursue my interests. In high school, a post about a tech mentorship program appeared on my Instagram. The mentor I connected with encouraged me to learn about building technology, so I scoured the web for resources, and found that social media provided me the best results. Less than a year later, I was accepted early into a top electrical engineering and computer science program because, despite imperfect grades, I’d organized programming events, completed an internship program and coding camps and taught youth in my community how to code.

All these opportunities had been sourced from and facilitated through online platforms. Using social media was how I could “be in the right rooms” and “know the right people” despite not seeing such possibilities in my community.

These platforms can help youths find online opportunities for community, as well as emotional and cultural connections. It would cut off access to life-saving interventions and support for youth experiencing mental health struggles or abuse and seeking help online. It would also deny young activists and organizers an essential method to share and rally around ideas.

Inaccurate methods

Attempts elsewhere in the world to keep youths off social media platforms have failed for what should be obvious reasons. In the United Kingdom, where age-verification has begun, children bypass “sophisticated” age-checking systems by simply drawing on fake mustaches. In Australia, where there’s a federally-mandated ban on social media use for those under 16, kids easily access platforms by uploading their parents’ IDs or through virtual public networks.

Even when systems use methods like facial analysis or biometrics, inaccurate age estimations are frequent, blocking people from using platforms even if they’re over 16. I understand the negative impacts of social media on youth. Platforms do build features to hook users and carry harmful content even when it violates their own rules. Even so, AB 1709 is a step in the wrong direction. It takes away the rights of young people and their families to decide for themselves how they use the internet. The bill is an extreme measure that won’t fix the harms of social media or protect children. It’s privacy-invasive, and it harms young people by denying them online free speech and access to ideas and communities that enrich their worlds and can change lives for the better.

Genevieve Chin is a computer science undergraduate student at UCLA and a member of Advocates for Youth’s Student Organizing Team.

This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Social media got me into college. Don’t cut that resource off for teens | Opinion."