Tennessee

Emerging Action

Tennessee at a glance

Tennessee requires social media platforms to verify ages and obtain parental consent for users under 18.
Tennessee's attorney general is actively holding tech companies accountable.
Tennessee mandates phone-free classrooms, but their policy is not bell-to-bell.
Tennessee does not yet have a reasonable childhood independence law.
Tennessee has not yet passed major laws that regulate harmful tech or hold companies liable.

Areas of Opportunity

Expanding the statewide phone policy to require bell-to-bell restrictions will bring focused learning and real connection back to all Tennessee schools.
Passing a reasonable childhood independence law will protect Tennessee's families from unfair charges of neglect.
Setting a social media age minimum of 16 with no parental consent loophole will solve the collective action problem for Tennessee families.
Passing laws that address harmful social media design and AI safety will protect Tennessee's kids from manipulative technology.

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

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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
Tennessee mandates phone-free classrooms, but still allows students to use devices during lunch and breaks. View the state’s Phone-Free Schools Report Card.
Childhood Independence
Tennessee does not yet have a reasonable childhood independence law, leaving too much discretion to the authorities and putting parents at risk of unfair neglect charges.

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
Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has been active on tech accountability, filing state-level lawsuits against Meta and Roblox for harms to children. He has also called for action on kids’ online safety, leading the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) Letter, and signing the AI Child Safety Letter and the AI Local Authority Letter.

Tech Policies

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

Social Media Age Limits
The Protecting Children from Social Media Act requires social media platforms to verify ages and obtain parental consent for users under 18. The tech industry has challenged the law in court, but the lawsuit is pending. The Protect Tennessee Minors Act requires websites where one-third of the content is harmful to minors to implement age verification and bar those under 18 from accessing, but a federal court has blocked enforcement.
These laws don't set a minimum age for social media accounts and have a parental consent loophole, leaving the collective action problem for families unresolved.
Regulating Harmful Design
Tennessee has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.
Holding Tech Companies Accountable
Tennessee has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.
Incentivizing Safer Tech
Tennessee has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.

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. Tennessee 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.