PHOENIX — A Valley mother advocating for change on social media platforms was in the room as Congress grilled tech leaders on Wednesday.
The Senate Judiciary Committee questioned the people who run Meta, TikTok, Snap and X about their apps' impact on youth mental health.
Jill Geigle, a Gilbert parent, told 12News she felt inspired change might be on the horizon.
“Felt like there was little bit of hope," Geigle said. “It was really good to be able to see the reactions of those CEOs and see firsthand their lies called out.”
As a parent, Geigle said she feels helpless when it comes to protecting her kids from the dangers found online.
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“They’ve set parents up to be losers. There’s no way that we can protect our children online right now. There’s no way," Geigle said.
HonorHealth Associate Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jared Berkowitz said social media has pros and cons, but parents who let their kids use the apps should consistently have conversations about what they're looking at online.
“The kids who are on social media throughout the day and in a very large quantity are often the ones to be found to be the most lonely and demonstrating signs and systems of depression and anxiety," Berkowitz said.
Although these sites have been around for two decades, Berkowitz said we don't yet understand the full impact social media has on people.
“I think that there’s still a lot more we need to learn and a lot more that we need to study and have open dialog and discussions to prevent further tragedies and to really open up the potential," Berkowitz said.
Geigle said she looks forward to the day parents have more control over what their kids can see and do online. She believes that will require lawmakers to change decades-old laws.
“When that happens, I think that true reform on the platforms will happen," Geigle said.
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