Plus, a majority of Utahns believe that the state legislature has more political influence than the governor or judiciary
Why red states are coming for big tech |
|
| | Few things bring Democrats and Republicans together like a shared skepticism of what has been labeled "Big Tech." Earlier this year, Utah Congressman Chris Stewart brought forward new federal legislation — the Social Media Child Protection Act — which would make social media platforms off-limits to children ages 15 and younger. It’s unclear which specific social media platforms the legislation targets, or if it targets social media altogether. The bill would also allow parents to file civil suits against social media companies that don’t enforce age limits. Bills like Stewart's often cite a mental health crisis among today's youth as justification. Some context: The average age a child gets a cellphone now in America is between 11 and 12. Both smartphone and social media use are positively correlated with a variety of mental health issues among youth, including self-injury and suicide. While it’s difficult to tease out the exact relationship between social media use and mental health problems, researchers point to a general rise in depression, anxiety and suicide attempts during the years that coincide with the rise of smartphones and social media. This is true for both boys and girls. This past legislative session, Utah became the first state in the nation to enact policy restricting when children under the age of 18 can use social media. The legislation would require age verification or parental consent for the use of social media and would allow lawsuits to be filed against apps for harming underage users. But Utah's legislation will almost certainly face a challenge in court. It also represents a shift in how the Republican Party approaches corporate speech. |
Read more about how social media has caused some conservatives to shift their stance on free speech in the digital sphere. |
| A majority of Utahns say that it is the state legislature — not the governor or state judiciary — that has the most influence in state politics, according to the latest Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll. Of the 800 registered Utah voters who responded, 51% said the legislature was the most influential branch of government in Utah. This is more than the percentage of those who responded in favor of the governor (36%) and the state judiciary (7%) combined. The results come in the wake of the 2023 Legislative Session, where lawmakers passed 575 bills without a single veto. In several press conferences following the end of the session, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox did say there were roughly 30 bills that initially made his “veto list” but they all either didn’t pass or were substantially altered. This lack of executive opposition may contribute to the sentiment that the legislature is more politically influential than the governor, said Matthew Burbank, a University of Utah political science professor. “There are things that the legislature does that it can do, and sometimes the governor can have some influence on it, but sometimes they just do what they want,” Burbank said Friday. Read more to see how the results shift when respondents are sorted by political ideology. More in Politics Jacob Hess: Are conservatives or liberals really under attack? (Deseret News) Verlan Lewis: Cancel culture isn’t the answer — There’s only one way forward (Deseret News) How is Utah preparing for the end of Title 42 border restrictions? (KSL) | FROM DESERET NEWS MARATHON Chase 53 Years of Tradition — Run Utah's Oldest Road Race This Pioneer Day Experience tradition on July 24th while racing down the historic pioneer route into Salt Lake Valley and through the Days of ‘47 Parade in the Deseret News Marathon. Full marathon, half marathon, 10K and 5K are available. Prices increase on May 12th. | Faith Salt Lake Temple gets new feature (Deseret News) Provo to Palo Alto: How Elder Daines’ unanswered prayers provided greater blessings than he imagined (Church News) Perspective Naomi Schaefer Riley: Don’t call it ‘bullying’ when it’s something far worse (Deseret News) Brooklyn Hughes Roemer: Look-alike research: Does everyone have a doppelgänger? (Deseret News) Education Eboo Patel: My advice to graduates? Find people who believe in you — and listen to them (Deseret News) University of Utah seeks to address pharmacy technician shortage by offering free tuition (KSL) The West Here’s what you need to know about the Texas mall shooting that left 9 dead, including the shooter (Deseret News) Is California giving reparations for slavery? Here's what you need to know (Los Angeles Times 🔒) The Nation Thousands of Jobs Were Added in April—Even in Industries With Layoffs (Wall Street Journal 🔒) String of horse deaths before the Kentucky Derby reignites scrutiny about the sport (NPR) The World 5 things to do in Brussels, Belgium (Deseret News) Vietnam records highest-ever temperature of 111 degrees Fahrenheit (BBC) Trending How does TikTok affect the billboard song charts? (Deseret News) Kilby Court Block Party, in its fourth year, is bigger than ever (Salt Lake Tribune 🔒) Sports Why the Utes need the Crimson Collective (Deseret News) BYU volleyball hopes ‘we over me’ attitude carries over into 2024 season (Deseret News) LeBron James’ son will play college basketball in the Pac-12 (Deseret News) |
That's all for today. Check your inbox tomorrow morning for more news from the Beehive State and beyond! And reply to this email or email newsletters@deseretnews.com to tell us what you think of Utah Today! Thank you for reading. — Brigham |
| Copyright © 2022 Deseret News, All rights reserved. |