New U.S. Senate bill bans social media accounts for children under 13

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- John Womack, of Raleigh, is a proud granddad of 11 grandchildren. Womack said chances are he'll find one, if not all using their cell phones.

"They basically worship those things," said Womack.

But this grandfather is keeping a close eye on what's happening on their screens.

"A lot of social media activity will actually take away from home training. So, we kind of keep those things, monitored," said Womack.

But some lawmakers want to take it a step further. U.S. Senators from both sides of the aisle introduced the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act. The goal is to lessen the harmful impacts of social media on children.

"Everyone is very concerned about children's mental health," said Dr. David Hill the former chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media.

"We are seeing spikes in depression and anxiety, even in suicidality. And everybody wants something to do. We also have concerns about how much time kids are spending on social media, as opposed to doing other things," he continued.

The bill would prohibit children under 13 from accessing social media platforms, require parental consent for children under 18 to use social media sites, and create a pilot program to establish an age-verification system

Dr. David Hill the former chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media explains what parents can do right now to help protect their children.

"Ask your child to show you what they're doing. I think it's important to have a conversation as a family before you bring a device into a child's possession. If you're getting a phone or a tablet or computer or a gaming system, how are we going to use this? What are the rules going to be? What do we agree is an appropriate amount of time," he explained.

And that's exactly what Candace Haywood, a mom of three is already practicing. Her 12-year-old daughter is the only person in the house with social media accounts that Haywood closely monitors.

"Anything she downloads, everything that comes to her phone, it alerts my phone. So I know before she can even do anything," said Haywood.

"She has like a certain amount of time before her phone shuts off everything. So, I control her phone," Haywood continued.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also encourages families to establish a family media plan to set social media priorities.

You can find more parental tools to protect your child HERE .