Is TikTok Harmful To Kids? Michigan Joins the Debate
Michigan is taking part in a nationwide investigation into whether TikTok is harmful to the younger generation. Dana Nessel, Michigan’s Attorney General, said Thursday that their investigation is looking into whether the company violated state consumer protection laws putting the public at risk. In this investigation, TikTok is accused of promoting its social media platform to children and young adults despite the fact that too much social media use is associated with physical and mental health harms.
Nessel released a statement saying, “Recent reports on social media’s impact on the mental and physical health of young people raise serious questions among attorneys general across the nation. Ultimately, we are concerned about protecting our youth. I am proud to join my colleagues in this investigation. Given this is an ongoing investigation, I will not be discussing any details beyond this announcement.” An investigation by the attorney Generals office will look at the harms of using TikTok, such as what the consumption of TikTok does to its young users and if TikTok knew about those harms. Facebook abandoned its plans to launch a version of Instagram for children under 13 in May 2021 after a bipartisan coalition of 44 Attorneys General urged it. Attorney Generals announced in November 2021 that they were investigating Meta Platforms (formerly known as Facebook) as well. Other states like California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont are also looking into the effects of TikTok as well. Detroit, what do think is TikTok harmful for the kids?
