Georgia

Rising Star

Georgia at a glance

Georgia has a reasonable childhood independence law that helps protect families from unreasonable charges of neglect.
Georgia mandates bell-to-bell phone-free schools for grades K–8.
Georgia requires parental consent for minors under 16 to create social media accounts, but a federal court has blocked enforcement.
Georgia's Senate Study Committee on the Impact of Social Media and AI on Children created a comprehensive blueprint for Tech Policies.
Georgia has not yet passed any major laws that regulate harmful tech design or hold companies liable.

Areas of Opportunity

Expanding the statewide phone policy to require bell-to-bell restrictions with inaccessible storage for grades 9–12 will bring focused learning and real connection back to Georgia’s high schools.
Setting a social media age minimum of 16 with no parental consent loophole will solve the collective action problem for Georgia families.
Enacting laws that address harmful social media design and AI safety will protect Georgia's kids from manipulative technology.
Creating legal pathways for families to sue tech companies for harm will help Georgia hold big tech accountable.

These opportunities are within reach for your home state. Download our policy menu, reach out to us, and reclaim childhood in Georgia.

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Dive Deeper

Childhood Development Policies

Is the state helping to solve the collective action problems families face by adopting policies that support a healthier real-world childhood?

Distraction-Free Schools
Georgia mandates bell-to-bell phone-free schools, but it only applies to grades K–8 and does not require inaccessible storage. View the state’s Phone-Free Schools Report Card.
Childhood Independence
Georgia passed a reasonable childhood independence law in 2025. The law protects parents who allow their children to engage in independent activities that do not endanger the child's health or safety.

Political Leadership

Is the governor championing kids' safety, and is the Office of the Attorney General using its power to hold big tech accountable?

Attorney General Leadership
Georgia has joined the multistate lawsuit against Meta and called for action on kids’ online safety by signing the AI Child Safety Letter and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) Letter.

Tech Policies

What is the state doing to address harmful tech and hold companies accountable?

Social Media Age Limits
Georgia's social media law requires platforms to verify ages and to obtain parental consent for users under 16, but enforcement is currently blocked by a federal court.
The law doesn't set a minimum age for social media accounts and has a parental consent loophole, leaving the collective action problem for families unresolved.
Regulating Harmful Design
Georgia has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.
Holding Tech Companies Accountable
Georgia has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.
Incentivizing Safer Tech
Georgia has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.
Policy Blueprint
A bipartisan Georgia Senate Study Committee unanimously adopted a report in December 2025 recommending comprehensive tech policies, including strengthening parental controls, regulating addictive features, and defining AI platforms as products subject to liability laws.

Family Perceptions

What do parents in the state say about their children's tech use, opportunities for independence, and real-life interactions?

IFS Resilient Childhood Score
Low. Georgia parents report that their kids experience:
- Low levels of independent, unsupervised activity
- Minimal time spent playing outside and socializing with friends
- High screen time, device ownership, and tech use

This page was last updated on March 4, 2026. The Childhood Index highlights key policies and actions and is not intended to be a comprehensive list. If there’s something you think we missed or should consider, we welcome your feedback.