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The Buzz: Lawmakers cracking down on teen social media safety

A congressional hearing was held Tuesday with executives from TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat.

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers are questioning children's safety when it comes to social media platforms.

Here's the Buzz:

A congressional hearing was held Tuesday to speak with executives from Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube about what their services do to protect kids online. 

Facebook was not present at the hearing but was already questioned last month on Instagram's effect on children. 

Lawmakers argued the platforms glorify dangerous content to young users including viral challenges, illicit drugs, eating disorder content and child sexual abuse material.

The executives in attendance explained how their platforms are different from Facebook and Instagram and the practices in place they say are protecting children. 

Folks responded on Twitter to the news saying things like there's not enough protection for kids, the companies aren't responsible for safety and questioning if social media is to blame for things like cyberbullying. 

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Experts say parents can help keep their kids safe by talking with their kids about things like who they're chatting with online, explaining what a digital footprint is, setting boundaries and deciding if they're mature enough to use social media.

You can find more information about the hearing by clicking here.

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