By Deena Lang
Raising a tween is no easy task, especially as they get to the age where they’re asking to be on social media. My son is 12 and he’d love to connect with his friends online, and I can’t blame him for it. As a content creator, I understand how valuable social media can be for building relationships and exploring your interests. While I do my best to inform my son about the dangers of the internet, I can’t always be there to protect him. With so much out there to explore, it’s hard to know for sure whether what he’s doing online is safe.
When I saw that Florida lawmakers are considering a bill that helps parents oversee what teens are doing online, I was happy to know that the issue is being taken seriously. My fellow parents and I are doing all we can to protect our children online, but sadly, there is only so much we can do. We need this legislation to pass to make sure our children are safer from the moment they download their first app to every interaction after that.
As someone who makes a living on social media, I have the ability to show my child what a dark place it can be in terms of unwanted contact from strangers, intense bullying and more. These tween years are so critical to our children’s mental development and the last thing they need is to fall victim to some of the awful behaviors I’ve personally experienced. While I do always encourage open honest dialogue with my son, I fear for him and all children regarding what they can be exposed to without better protections in place. A centralized solution for age verification is one giant step in the right direction.
As a mother, my top priority is my child’s safety, and I know the parents in my community feel the same. Our children will all eventually be exposed to social media, whether it's at 13 years old or a few years down the road on their own phone or on a friend’s phone. My goal is to make sure that when they do join, there are protections in place to help them explore apps safely and appropriately. I encourage Florida lawmakers to help parents by supporting this bill and keeping our kids safe online.
Deena Lang is a South Florida based mother, content creator and passionate parent advocate.
