European lawmakers are considering modifying the European Data Protection Regulation which could kick a ton of teenage Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat users offline.
If this new modification is passed the regulation would require teens under the age of 16 to get parental consent in order to visit social media websites. The regulation age is currently set at 13 for the European Data Protection Regulation act.
Online safety organizations around the world and people worldwide are concerned about the future of the Internet if this modification passes.
As The Huffington Post points out, this could have a huge impact on teenagers in the European Union. Social media is the network in which many kids connect, socialize and learn “My friends in the suicide prevention and mental health communities tell me that social media, along with texting, is very often the way that teens reach out when they are in crisis. Social media services are frequently used by younger teens to seek help or just let others know about their distress. I have heard of numerous cases where suicides have been prevented as a result of teens reaching out, along with even more cases of teens seeking or getting help when dealing with such things as physical abuse, sexual harassment, bullying and self-harm.”
This could be especially difficult on children experiencing abuse, neglect, those unable to get parental consent, and those life-saving communities using social media to make it through one of the most difficult time periods in a person’s life.
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