I am a Salt Lake native who wears many hats. I’m a wife, a mother of five and an online influencer. My top priority is my family, so I applaud our state Legislature for passing sensible and thoughtful online child safety legislation that focuses on teens and busy parents like me.
Parenting is a full-time job, and devoting time to monitoring my 13-year-old’s online activity can seem overwhelming, especially since it has been reported that an average teen is on 40 apps per week. I am so proud to live in a state that prioritizes protecting teens online and giving parents more control over our teens’ online experiences.
As an Alpine School District parent, there’s nothing more important than the safety and well-being of my five children — especially when it comes to the ever-evolving online world. As a content creator, I try to stay on top of the different tools and resources on social media that are making the experience better and safer each day. My oldest son recently joined social media for the first time, which has been a learning experience for the both of us, as I’ve been navigating this journey alongside him. He’s a star football player at his middle school and uses his Instagram account to connect with classmates and teammates, as well as explore sports content and post videos from his recent football games.
While I’ve made a conscious effort to discuss potential online risks with him, and although I trust him to make smart decisions, he’s still young and inexperienced in the digital world.
It’s important to me that the ages of the people he interacts with online are verified and that the content he sees is appropriate for a 13-year-old. I also want to have the final say before he downloads an app because I feel strongly that I know what’s best for my child. This way, I can start a discussion with my son about what apps he wants to download based on what I trust to be the best decision for my teen.
Utah made history as the first state to pass a law that empowers parents to verify our teens’ age in one place. This legislation, called the “App Store Accountability Act,” is a monumental step forward in protecting Utah teens online that also supports parents in the process.
Utah’s App Store Accountability Act does just that — it empowers parents to have more control over their teens’ online activity by first confirming your teen’s age to avoid any misrepresentation and, once age is confirmed, requiring parental approval for teens to download new apps.
Every parent may have different rules of engagement on how they approach being online, but I believe our approach here in Utah is a great first step to taming the wild west that currently exists.
I consider myself a social media-savvy parent; however, not all parents have the time and resources to devote to monitoring their children’s online activity. There has long been a need for a solution that simplifies the process, and I’m proud that our lawmakers are prioritizing the online safety of Utah teens while also putting parents in control. While there is still work to be done in protecting teens online, this is a significant step in the right direction.
It has already made national news that other states are considering replicating Utah’s effort here. As a parent and as a content creator, I encourage policymakers across the country to follow Utah’s lead and do what’s best for families by supporting this simple solution that eases the burden on parents while protecting our teens.
(Shannon Bird) Shannon Bird is a Salt Lake native, mother of five kids and online influencer.
Shannon Bird is a Salt Lake native, mother of five kids and online influencer who is passionate about youth safety online.
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