U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) met with "Fox & Friends" Thursday morning before the San Francisco Giants-St. Louis Cardinals Major League Baseball game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham.
Britt spoke with Will Cain from the oldest professional baseball field in the United States about her push for more restrictions on social media to protect children.
As the only Republican woman with school-aged children in the U.S. Senate, Britt said she is concerned with how social media has impacted children.
"And we're learning more about it, right?" said Britt. "So, if you look back at the data from 2011 to 2019, the rate of depression among our young people more than doubled. That perfectly coincides with the rise of social media."
"There was so much we didn't know about it then that we do know about it now, and that's why this movement that we're seeing, the wait until eighth and other things are so important," she continued. "I want to encourage parents to get engaged. I want them to take a look at what the surgeon general has said. I mean, these warnings are now out there. We've got to empower parents with the tools and the information they need to make good choices for their kids."
The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, which Britt introduced, keeps kids off social media before age 13 and bars social media companies from using algorithms to target teens ages 13–17.
Britt added that her family will attend the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals game on Thursday evening. Rickwood Field was home to the Negro League's Birmingham Black Barons. Willie Mays, who died earlier this week, played for the Black Barons and will be honored at the game.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning or become a member to gain access to exclusive content and 1819 News merch.
