Advocates sound alarm on dangers of technology for teens

Parents, educators and other advocates are imploring state lawmakers to put safeguards on social media and other technology for young people amid what they call a growing crisis that threatens their well-being and their very lives.

The high-profile case of Fishers teen Hailey Buzbee, who was found dead in Ohio in January after allegedly leaving home with a man she had been communicating with online for a year, brought immediacy and urgency to a recent hearing on key legislation at the Statehouse. The 17-year-old’s father was among those who addressed lawmakers on a proposed amendment to Senate Bill 199 – a wider education bill – that would place greater restrictions on social media use for children and teens, including stricter parental consent.

With his wife, Ronya, by his side, Beau Buzbee described how they are “living every parent’s worst nightmare.”

“From the perspective of a Hoosier family who lost our most precious gift from God, I assure you that the decisions you are considering today have the power to save children’s lives,” Buzbee said during a Feb. 9 hearing on the bill in the House Education Committee.

In his emotional testimony, which took place just days before his daughter’s funeral services, Buzbee called on committee members to address the “glaring gaps” in oversight of minors’ use of social media. His daughter had reportedly been communicating via an online gaming platform and a secure chat app with the 39-year-old man now facing federal charges in her death.

“We are in the midst of the greatest crisis of our time,” Buzbee said. “We are losing the fight to protect our children. The internet and social media are the devil’s and predators’ playgrounds, and it’s on this front that we must fight. I beg of you, please do not let this opportunity slip away.”

The education committee voted two days later to adopt the proposed amendment to Senate Bill 199 – an otherwise multi-faceted education bill – sending the entire measure to the full House for consideration. Among other provisions, the amendment would require parental consent for children under 16 to create or maintain social media accounts and place new requirements on social media companies to ensure age and identity verification.

Additionally, the amendment aims to restrict social media companies from using algorithms on children’s accounts that push personalized content intended to increase users’ time on the platforms.

These types of practices fuel young people’s increasing addiction to social media, according to a longtime school guidance counselor who testified at the hearing. Amy Klink, director of counseling at Guerin Catholic High School in Noblesville, spoke of what she believes is a strong correlation between social media overuse and mental health issues among children and teens.

“The number of students seeking mental health services has increased exponentially during my time as a counselor,” said Klink, who has served in that capacity at both public and private schools for 26 years. “A large part of this can be attributed to social media.

“We need to do more to protect our children’s mental health and their safety,” she continued. “Our parents are asking for help. The children in their own way are asking for help, and I’m asking for help. Please give parents more say in what their children have access to, and please help us in fighting this mental health crisis.”

An earlier version of Senate Bill 199 included language prohibiting anyone in Indiana younger than 14 from having a social media account and requiring those between the ages of 14 and 18 to have parental consent. That language was later stripped from the bill due to legal and enforcement concerns.

The new amendment, which re-introduced key elements of that original version, has the support of the Indiana Catholic Conference (ICC) and the Indiana Non-Public Education Association (INPEA).

James McNeany, the INPEA’s new executive director, spoke on behalf of both organizations during his testimony before the House committee.

“Educators across Indiana are seeing a clear connection between excessive social media use and declining student well-being,” said McNeany, most recently principal of Guerin Catholic High School before taking the helm of the INPEA, which represents the state’s more than 400 non-public schools, including Indiana’s 175 Catholic schools.

“Over the past decade, rates of anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide among teenagers have risen sharply, and suicide is now one of the leading causes of death for adolescents nationwide,” McNeany added. “This trend closely parallels the rise of smart phones and social media.”

McNeany said he favored the original language of the bill but is pleased to see some elements of it moving forward.

“While I prefer a complete ban for our youngest and most vulnerable students, this is a meaningful step in the right direction that restores parental authority and introduces common-sense safeguards,” he said.

A related measure that advocates are closely following is Senate Bill 78, which would ban cell phone usage for students from “bell to bell” – that is, for the entire school day from the moment they enter the building until final dismissal. Current Indiana restrictions apply only to instructional time, not lunch time or passing periods.

The House Education Committee voted unanimously in support of the bill on Feb. 11, the same day it passed the revised Senate Bill 199. Although Senate Bill 78 would only directly affect public school corporations and charter schools, members of the INPEA spoke to the benefits of this sort of policy during the recent hearing in the education committee.

Some non-public schools have already adopted complete cell phone bans during the school day, including Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis.

“The results have been transformative,” said Brebeuf principal Greg VanSlambrook, who addressed education committee members both about Senate Bill 199 and Senate Bill 78 in his Feb. 9 remarks. “We find that students are more engaged in their lessons. We see more eye contact and real conversation in our hallways and our cafeteria. There is, quite simply, more human interaction, and we are seeing some positive effects on mental health.”

The INPEA and ICC were closely following both bills as they awaited final action in the House at press time.

“There are just so many things that happen in the school day that are magnified because of phones and social media,” McNeany said. “So we are hoping that these two bills together will have a positive effect on our young people.”

The ICC – the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Indiana – had supported similar legislation last year that ultimately stalled at the Statehouse.

“The Church usually leans more to the side of the state having a compelling interest in protecting kids and their well-being and giving parents the tools they need,” said Alexander Mingus, executive director of the ICC. “We are very interested in seeing this legislation cross the finish line.”

The ICC and the INPEA are hailing another development in the realm of education. Indiana recently opted into the federal tax credit scholarship program, part of President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.” 

Indiana Governor Mike Braun made the announcement in late January during a visit to St. Philip Neri Catholic School in Indianapolis. The program will offer Indiana residents a dollar-for-dollar, nonrefundable tax credit of up to $1,700 annually for donations to qualified Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) that serve students from kindergarten through high school.

SGOs provide K-12 scholarships for non-public school tuition and other educational expenses. Mingus said that opting into the federal tax credit scholarship program is another positive step for Indiana, which passed universal school choice in the 2025 legislative session.

“We are certainly blessed in Indiana to have a robust school choice program in addition to this new federal program, which complements what we already have in place,” Mingus said. 

Now, the ICC is hoping for a successful conclusion to the 2026 Indiana General Assembly, set to wrap up by the end of February.

“We ask for everyone’s prayers for a smooth and positive conclusion to this legislative session, which has the potential to advance the common good in many areas,” Mingus said.