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Just like every child in America, South Carolina children are being exposed to harmful material online every day. Whether on their smartphones, tablets, or even their school-assigned devices, online safety for minors has become one of the most critical concerns for parents.
With reports noting that teens are spending eight and a half hours on screens per day, it’s time for federal lawmakers to create sensible and meaningful legislation to equip parents to protect their children’s minds and futures from those who want to harm them.
However, the the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) is the wrong approach to addressing this issue. Recent changes to the bill have raised serious concerns among parents who value parental rights and limited government. The new language would shift enforcement power from state attorneys general to the Biden Administration’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC), led by Lina Khan. Chairwoman Kahn has proven to be “off-the-rails” and will attempt to implement her radical agenda on our children. This move could strip states of their ability to tailor enforcement to their specific needs, handing too much control to federal bureaucrats.
As a parent, this worries me deeply. South Carolinians have repeatedly shown that we understand our community’s needs better than distant federal officials.
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Attorney general Alan Wilson and the South Carolina Legislature have strongly advocated for our children and should be empowered to enforce the necessary protections, not sidelined by federal agencies. Our legislature recently passed the Child Online Safety Act at the state level, supported by attorney general Wilson. We are working to pass a bill to ban cell phones in schools to address the growing challenges our kids do not know they face.
It’s crucial that Congress hears our voices. According to a recent Pew Research study, the overwhelming majority of parents, 76 percent, believe managing their teen’s screen time is a top priority. With 95 percent of teens having access to a smartphone and 38 percent acknowledging they spend too much time on them, it’s clear that we need robust safeguards in place.
We need Congress to pass a bill prioritizing parents and state enforcement. Commonsense measures, like requiring parental consent for app downloads, would allow parents to review and decide what’s appropriate for their children. Additionally, empowering state attorneys general ensures that enforcement is conducted by those who are closest to and most understanding of their communities.
Every day we delay addressing this issue, more children are exposed to inappropriate content that can have lasting impacts. It’s time for a family-first approach to online safety that respects the role of parents and local authorities. Our children’s futures depend on it.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Kurt Gerald is a grassroots conservative activist and proud parent in Horry County. He serves as the regional manager for Vicon Industries, developing integrated security technology products using cloud and AI for commercial, education, government, and healthcare sectors.
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