ATLANTA — The Georgia attorney general has joined a bipartisan coalition that is urging certain social media platforms to strengthen their parental controls. A total 44 attorneys general across the nation are requesting that TikTok and Snapchat make important changes.
"In today’s online environment, children are at a greater risk of encountering harmful content and predatory users," Attorney General of Georgia Christopher M. Carr said in a press release. “We know this is a concern for Georgia families, and we stand with them in supporting the development and implementation of strong parental controls meant to keep kids safe."
Carr's office reported that one app offered statistics from over 3.4 billion messages that were analyzed in 2021. A total 43.09% of tweens and 74.61% of teens were involved in a self-harm or suicidal situation, the report said. A total 80.82% of tweens and 94.5% of teens expressed or experienced violent subject matter or thoughts.
A total 72.09% of tweens and 85% of teens experienced bullying as a bully, victim or witness, the report said.
"While some children might not understand the risks associated with heightened social media use, providing parents with the tools to protect their loved ones can help to prevent any dangerous or unintended consequences," Carr said.
Carr's office did not disclose which application offered the statistics.
“Parental control apps can alert parents or schools to messages and posts on your platforms that have the potential to be harmful and dangerous," the coalition of attorneys general said in a letter sent to TikTok and Snapchat. "Apps can also alert parents if their child manifests a desire for self-harm or suicide. On other platforms where these apps are allowed to operate appropriately parents have received notifications of millions of instances of severe bullying and hundreds of thousands of self-harm situations, showing that these apps have the potential to save lives and prevent harm to our youth.”
On March 14, two children were injured as the result of a reported TikTok trend.
An 8-year-old and a 10-year-old were shot with Orbeez, or water-filled balls, from toy pellet guns, according to Peachtree City Police. Officials are calling the pellet guns "splatter ball guns."
Police said they saw people on golf carts shooting frozen Orbeez water pellets at children the next day. Two 14-year-olds faced charges for aggravated assault, and one teenager faced a charge for underage use of a golf cart. A parent also faced charges for allowing her son to use the golf cart underaged.
