Bill > SR136

This resolution designates the week of August 17 through 23, 2025, as "Social Media Safety and Parental Awareness Week" in Pennsylvania, in response to alarming statistics about online child exploitation, particularly sextortion. The resolution highlights that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline received 20.5 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation in 2024, with a significant increase in online enticement cases and a growing threat involving artificial intelligence (AI). The document reveals concerning data, such as one in five teens experiencing sextortion, with victims as young as 8 years old, and approximately 98% of such incidents going unreported. The resolution aims to raise awareness about the dangers of social media, especially for children and teens, with 95% of teenagers using at least one social media platform and nearly 40% of children aged 8-12 already using such platforms. By establishing this awareness week, the resolution encourages educational programming and public awareness efforts to prevent sextortion, protect minors from online exploitation, and highlight the potential psychological trauma associated with these online threats, particularly as students prepare to return to school.

Government Affairs

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=S&type=R&bn=136