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Carson Bride took his own life when he was just a teenager. Later, his mother found out he had received hundreds of abusiveInsulting, offensive or cruel. messages online.

This week, Carson's mother went to the US SenateThe upper chamber of the Congress that - along with the US House of Representatives (lower chamber) - comprises the legislative branch of the US government. Each of the 50 US states is equally represented by two senators, regardless of its population size.. She wanted to hear tech bosses speak about allegationsClaims of wrongdoing. of harms to children online.

Lawmakers in the USA are discussing a new law that could restrictPut a limit on. what children might see online and monitorWatch over. online activity.

American teenagers spend most of their waking hours on the internet. Children under 13 already spend more than five hours online every day.

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But there are upsides too. Teenagers also say that social media helps them to talk to their friends, be creative and feel accepted by others.

Does social media do more good than harm?

Yes! Social media helps us to connect to lots of other people and share facts and ideas. There is almost nothing in the world that does not have upsides and downsides.

No! The risks are just too big. It is almost impossible to make the internet completely safe for children. Social media has changed life for the worse.