By: Ava Jankowski – January 29, 2026 10:59am
Teen Consumed by Cellphone Notifications from Varying Apps1
Let’s face it: There is no real way to protect your kids. You can keep them away from bad areas
and teach them how to act, but when it comes to the digital world, we are vastly unprepared.
Digital content is constantly growing. Between video gaming websites, online work/school
platforms, and popular social media apps, our lives revolve around our phones.
While we think that this works in our favor, it actually does not. Social media platforms have
millions of posts, not all of which are appropriate for children and teens. You can not control
what your child sees on social media, and sometimes the content disappears after it is viewed.
As an 18 year old, I have grown up with social media. While it allowed me to connect with
friends from around the world, I saw unwanted vulgar content and received disturbing
notifications. There were multiple instances where my friends and I would wake up to a strange
message on Instagram, even though we had private accounts.
Honestly, it was uncomfortable.
No one wants to see a teen that they care about watching inappropriate videos or falling victim to
a “nice” online friend. That is why the App Store Accountability Act is crucial. It provides
protection from predators, unwanted comments and attention, and hurtful, inappropriate content.
This legislation will require parental consent for any app that a minor wants to download. It will
also limit data collection to what is needed to verify age and parental consent.
According to a national poll, 88% of parents want the app store to necessitate parental approval
before a minor downloads an app. However, it is not just parents who want this bill to pass.
82% of voters believe in the App Store Accountability Act. The majority of voters surveyed
want to create a safer online environment for kids.
Online safety is just as important as physical safety. Seeing harmful content can cause emotional
distress and damage. It can affect a teen’s wellbeing. Unfortunately, digital safety is often
overlooked because threats are seemingly invisible.
If we want to defend the wellbeing and safety of children and teens, the App Store
Accountability Act is a step in the right direction. Supporting this bill will allow parents to
protect their children in the new digital age.
- Photo from Kids Mental Health Canada ↩︎
The State Circler 
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