(NEXSTAR) – As lawmakers on Capitol Hill consider restrictions to children's access to social media, a Senate committee hosted a hearing Thursday on the growing amount of screen time kids have each day. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, children ages 8 to 18 spend an average of seven and a half hours each day viewing screens. It's an issue that has sparked bipartisan concern on Capitol Hill. "A lot of parents feel helpless right now," said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). "There's the algorithmic-driven feeds, the endless scrolling social comparison mechanisms," said Sen. Andy Kim (D-New Jersey). A panel of medical professionals and education experts testified before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. "Technology is fundamentally changing childhood and, in the process, undermining parents and threatening the very health of democracy," said Emily Cherkin, an author and founder of The Screentime Consultant. "This is all happening within the context of a child mental health crisis and a loneliness epidemic," said Dr. Jenny Radesky, associate professor of pediatrics at University of Michigan Medical School. Lawmakers from both parties have proposed legislation to try to reduce children's use of social media platforms. Sens. Cruz and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) teamed up on a bipartisan bill to set a minimum age of 13 to use social media. And for kids under age 17, it bars social media companies from using algorithms that provide recommendations to keep users engaged. "I think banning the algorithmic feed for kids who are not yet fully developed is a very powerful tool," Schatz said. The bill also requires schools that receive federal funding to block social media on their devices and networks. "No school getting federal taxpayer dollars would allow kids to access social media in the classroom," Cruz said. The bill passed in committee last year and is awaiting a floor vote. Aside from proposed legislation, the experts at the hearing advised parents to wait as long as they can before letting their children on social media. "We can take those steps to keep our kids off social media until at least 16, if not 18, and just put off that smartphone as long as possible," said Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University.