Op-Ed: The quiet part said out loud

The United States Senate Commerce Committee’s recent markup hearing discussed a package of kids’ online safety bills that are good politics but bad policy. Despite the public narrative, the underlying research on social media and mental health is mixed and weak – at best. That has not stopped a bipartisan supermajority of politicians from cherry-picking evidence to use as a convenient framing device to motivate their favored political priorities.

The committee’s vote to advance the controversial Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) to the Senate floor for a potential vote is a reflection of how senators have framed the problem. Look no further than Senate Commerce Committee leadership. Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) has cited online screen time as one factor contributing to depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues in previous hearings, and in the most recent one ...