The creators of the new law in Virginia passed that children under the age of 16 will now have only 1 hour on all social media platforms. This new law was passed on May 2nd 2025 but recently went into action on Jan 1 2026. Children are now unable to go over 1 hour unless they have permission from parents. This law was passed to help children succeed. Is it working?
This new law is limiting time on Tiktok, Snapchat, Youtube, Pinterest and X. A lot of people use these social media platforms to talk to relatives and friends but it also has a lot of downsides. Netchoice is a technology industry trade group that represents Google, Snap, and Snap. Netchoice had a lot to say about this topic like “Imposing government-mandated time limits on social media use is no different than restricting reading books or watching documentaries, and it violates the First Amendment”.
It is a proven fact that reducing time on social media can improve psychological well-being. Studies show that cutting screen time by 30 to 60 minutes can significantly reduce depression and anxiety. Ethan Mills, a freshman, shared his perspective on the topic: “I think it is a good stress reliever when [students] get home from school. Sometimes they need to get some dopamine, relax, and scroll for a while… but I think limiting it to just one hour would actually restrict our social interaction instead of fostering it.”
