Angry parents push for legislative action ‘Phones should be illegal for kids until they’re 18!’
Parents across the country are sounding the alarm over the dangers social media poses to children, spurred by two landmark court rulings last week that imposed multi-million-dollar fines on Meta.
“Almost all kids today are on these platforms, and we know they can be harmful,” said Julie Frumin, a 43-year-old mother of two from Westlake Village, California. “We need help protecting them. Now.”
For some families, the court decisions represent a rare victory and a sign of hope.
Deb Schmill, a founding member of ParentsSOS and a driving force behind Massachusetts legislation for phone-free schools, knows the stakes firsthand. Her daughter, Becca Mann Schmill, died at 18 from fentanyl obtained through a social media app. Schmill called the rulings a “watershed moment” and said they mark a critical first step toward addressing what she called “one of the most shameful public health failures in modern American history.”
In New Mexico, a jury found Meta—owner of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp—guilty of putting profits ahead of safety, misleading users, and failing to protect children from sexual predators. The court ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties to 37,500 users, the state’s maximum allowable fine. Meta denies wrongdoing and has announced plans to appeal.
The following day, a Los Angeles jury sided with a 20-year-old woman, identified only as Kaley, who claimed Instagram and YouTube made her addicted to their platforms through features like infinite scrolling and autoplay. Meta was ordered to pay $4.2 million in damages, and Google $1.8 million. Both companies maintain their platforms are safe for children, but they face mounting lawsuits nationwide.
Frumin, who is also a licensed marriage and family therapist, said the verdicts brought tears of relief.
“This moment of accountability is long overdue,” she said. Her own children, ages 9 and 12, are not allowed phones or social media. “I’ve had an advantage by keeping them away, but I see what other families are up against.”
With more than 20 years of experience, Frumin has observed how social media affects teenagers’ attention spans, self-esteem, body image, and family relationships.
In Manhattan, a nurse and mother of three said many parents fail to understand the risks associated with screens and social media. Working nights at an assisted living facility, she expressed hope that the rulings will raise awareness and push lawmakers to strengthen regulations.
“Raising the legal age for social media use could make it less of a default for kids,” she said. “When all their friends are online, it’s harder for parents to say no.”
Some parents have already taken strict measures to protect their children. Veronica Feliciano, a 43-year-old waitress from The Bronx, keeps tight limits on her children’s screen time. Her 2-year-old son gets only two hours on the iPad on weekends, while her 14-year-old daughter has faced social media-related conflicts in the past. Feliciano supports laws restricting phone use for minors.
“Phones should be off-limits until 18,” she said. “Kids react strongly if you try to take them away. We’ve seen the harm social media can do firsthand.”
But not all parents agree. A Manhattan father of three teenagers, speaking anonymously, warned that banning social media could isolate kids socially. “Most of their communication is on Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok,” he said, calling the court victories “meaningless” because the apps are already deeply ingrained in youth culture.
For Frumin, the challenges are clear. Many parents struggle to enforce limits when teens resist, creating family tension that she blames on the design of these platforms.
“The internal documents show these apps are engineered for maximum engagement, not safety,” Frumin said. “They put kids at risk. That’s why we’re seeing these legal battles.”
Parents often try to keep children busy with extracurricular activities to limit screen time, but that only partially works. Schools often provide unsupervised access to devices, bypassing internet filters and exposing kids to apps and social media.
“The burden cannot fall on parents alone,” Frumin said. “We need legislative support.”
For Schmill, the stakes are personal. Her daughter Becca had turned to fentanyl to cope with trauma after being sexually assaulted by a teenager she met through a social media chat. Cyberbullying followed, highlighting the real-world dangers these platforms pose.
Schmill hopes Congress will act on the Kids Online Safety Act, advocating for strong protections similar to a Senate bill that previously passed 91–3.
Even as adults rely heavily on technology, experts emphasize children are more vulnerable to cognitive and emotional harm. Lissette Rosario, a reading comprehension professional from The Bronx, stressed that protecting kids requires a collective effort.
“It takes a village—parents, teachers, tech companies, and the public,” she said. “Everyone has to do their part to keep children safe online.”
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