DeSantis previously said he aggress with the sentiment behind the Republican-sponsored bill, but fears it may not hold up to legal scrutiny.

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) -- The Florida Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would bar children under age 16 from using social media. HB-1 cleared the chamber with 23 yeas and 14 nays.

It breezed through the Florida House of Representatives last month with overwhelming support, so now it's headed to the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis for his signature. However, there are still lingering doubts about how the law will be enforced, or if it's even constitutional.

DeSantis previously said he aggress with the sentiment behind the Republican-sponsored bill, but fears it may not hold up to legal scrutiny. The platforms are "a net negative for our youth," he said.

At a January news conference, DeSantis expressed concerns with the law's viability, warning that similar laws in other states became tied up in the courts.

“I’m sympathetic to, as a parent, what’s going on with our youth,” DeSantis said. “But I also understand that to just say that someone that’s 15 just cannot have it no matter what, even if the parent consents, that may create some legal issues."

Legislators ended their Wednesday session without a vote after over an hour of contentious debate. The conversation continued Thursday.

While support for most Florida bills tend to fall along party lines, senators on both sides of the aisle decried the negative effects of social media. However, some also acknowledged the legislation may contradict the Republican-led "parental rights" effort.

Sen. Jason W. B. Pizzo (D-Hollywood) described his experience raising two teenage boys, balancing the freedom to access social media with their home responsibilities. He sympathized with the bill's supporters, saying it's not easy navigating this relatively new challenge for parents, but they need to step up.

"This isn't 1850," Pizzo said. "While parents show up to school board meetings to ban books, their kids are on their iPads looking at really bad stuff."

Opponents of the bill say it's the parents' responsibility to monitor and police their children's social media use - not the state's.

"Put your phone down. Have a conversation with your kids," Pizzo said.

Supporters of the bill shrugged off the parental rights argument, saying the negative effects of social media use are overwhelming.

"This isn't about parental rights. Parents do not have the right to harm their children," Sen. Erin Grall (R-Fort Pierce) said. "We're saying the harm is too great, and we must intervene."

Gall said the cyberbullying and addictive nature of social media destroys children's mental health and leads them to drastic measures, including suicide.

"They're talking about 10-year-olds," Gall said. "I can't imagine what these families went through when they discovered that."

Social media companies ultimately bear the responsibility for these problems, the bill's proponents say, due to their inaction on issues like bullying and grooming. They are intentionally choosing to prioritize profits over children's safety.

"They know what they're doing to manipulate children. They know cyberbullying happens. They know the cyberbullying results in, 'You should kill yourself now'," Gall said. "They know it has resulted in the harm or death of children."

Florida senators are also expected to vote on a similar bill requiring age verification for sites featuring “materials harmful to minors.”

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