Here’s the scenario – you walk into an adult-goods store (okay, we used to call them sex shops, but now the marketing is a bit more upscale). And that’s fine, no judgment there, you’re an adult after all. But, as Marlo Greer asks in a recent video on this topic, would you bring your child with you?
Or how about this? You, as an adult, are free to walk in and browse the adult goods store, including the video section. But should your child be allowed to do so as well? By themselves?
Many parents would argue that kids should be prohibited from viewing adult-themed materials, at least until they are, well, adults. Or at the very least, they should be with a parent if they are in a situation where they can do so. (This is not a post about parenting, by the way – how you choose to raise your kid is generally up to you, provided you don’t abuse them or violate the law in doing so.)
Social Media – Like Having an Adult Goods Store in Your Hand
That brings us to social media. When your child has their own phone, they have more or less unfettered access to everything on the Internet. This can be a good thing, of course – they can use the phone for helpful purposes such as school-related research or finding a nearby restaurant. But it is just as easy for them to find and view content that is not appropriate for them at their age. And it’s also possible for other users to contact them – and set the stage for abuse.
For a child, having a mobile phone these days is kind of like if in the real world there is a big box store where kids are allowed in by themselves, and one aisle has snacks and drinks, and the next aisle has adult videos and sex toys. And while they’re in the store, they can be contacted by anyone else who is in there. But now, all of that comes to them through their phones.
Why Social Media Platforms Are Being Sued
That’s the point of some of these lawsuits against big social media companies such as Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Alphabet (Google and YouTube), and X (Twitter). They seek to hold the companies responsible for making it easy for kids to have access to content that is arguably not appropriate for Internet users their age, and for creating an environment where kids can be targeted and suffer both mental and physical abuse from other users.
We regulate alcohol, drugs, and even movie access based on age. It isn’t out of the question to expect social media companies to introduce some guidelines that make it challenging for children to access content on those platforms that they arguably should not be able to access until they are older. And to make it difficult for others to abuse kids.
What do you think?
What Greer Law Can Do to Help
If your child has suffered emotionally or physically because they were targeted by someone who contacted them via social media, you may be able to recover compensation. Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible to hold the social media platform as well as the person who misused it and hurt your child responsible for the damage that was done.
At Greer Law, we fight to protect the rights of those who are injured because of the negligence or intentional acts of others. To find out how we may be able to help you with your case, give us a call at 303-331-6460, or fill out our contact form, and we will set up a free case evaluation.
