KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — An East Tennessee mother, Gail Flatt, said that she will be attending the State of the Union Thursday night in honor of her daughter who died by suicide at the age of 14 after explicit photos of her were shared by her boyfriend.
Flatt said her daughter, Sarah, thrived in school and was constantly handing out compliments to those she cared about. Her mother said that Sarah loved to ride horses and was constantly energetic. An addiction to social media held a grip on Sarah, according to Flatt.
Because of this, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R - TN) invited Flatt to attend the State of the Union. Blackburn is sponsoring the "Kids Online Safety Act," a bill going through Congress that would add restrictions to minors' accounts on social media.
At the State of the Union on March. 7, President Joe Biden addressed the U.S. with plans for the future of the country. He previously expressed his opinions on the "Kids Online Safety Act" as he advocated for its passing, according to UC Berkeley.
