When I was in the seventh grade,
I got my first smartphone,
And I remember thinking,
I am never going to be bored again.
Instagram had just launched,
Everyone at school was downloading it,
And after a lot of negotiations,
My parents let me create an account.
It felt like a new world.
I could see everything my friends posted,
I could share whatever I wanted,
And I could see instantly how people responded.
My account was private,
And I wasn't posting anything inappropriate,
So I didn't have any major concerns,
And I saw real benefits from using it.
I loved the feeling of being connected.
I could express what I liked and meet other people my age in a space that felt like it was built just for us.
Being liked and followed made me feel seen and admired.
But slowly something shifted.
I started evaluating my posts by the numbers.
I thought about the best time of day to publish,
How many likes I was averaging per minute,
And what I was doing wrong when the feedback wasn't positive.
I even downloaded an app to boost likes and followers because I was worried that my online status reflected my real life value.
That quest for validation didn't stay on my screen.
It spilled into real life,
Into my relationships,
My self-worth,
And my mood.
Over time,
That pressure contributed to unhealthy relationships and eventually experiences with anxiety and depression.
But I wasn't alone.
Most of my friends felt it too.
Yes,
Social media gave us an escape and a place to be creative,
But it also created an intense pressure to maintain an image,
One that followed us everywhere,
To school,
Home,
Church,
And sports.
Looking back,
We are probably too young to hold something that powerful in our hands without more support.
Our parents didn't always know what we were facing online.
And even when they were willing to listen,
I didn't always want to share what I was going through.
Without safeguards,
I tried to create my own boundaries.
I limited my screen time.
I was careful about who I followed.
I tucked my social media apps into a hidden off-home screen folder.
And for a while,
I even deleted my social media altogether.
But I missed the connection to friends and family.
Finding the balance wasn't easy.
Self-regulation is hard for young people.
What does help is awareness and intention,
Choosing who you follow,
What content you interact with,
And how long you spend online.
Those choices matter.
But the truth is young people shouldn't have to do this alone.
If there had been stronger safeguards when I was younger,
Managing social media would have been much easier.
We've seen steps like COPPA,
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act,
Limit the creation of accounts by kids under 13.
But the world has changed fast.
The rapid growth of artificial intelligence has introduced new and complex risks fully addressed.
AI-driven feeds can push harmful content,
Enable exploitation,
And amplify isolation and comparison at a scale we've never seen.
And so far,
Tech companies and policymakers haven't done enough to protect kids and teens.
Fortunately,
Change is possible.
The Kids Online Safety Act,
Or COSA,
Has been reintroduced in the Senate with a clear goal,
Protect young people from the harmful effects of unregulated social media and AI.
That help families and young people create healthier online experiences.
Social media and AI aren't going anywhere.
But we can make them safer.
