About • Parents v. Big Tech

Who we are

A mother and child together at a desk inside a home near a phone and computer.

We are a global movement of parents and caregivers fighting for a safer internet for kids. Children’s products like car seats, toys, and bicycles are rightfully held to rigorous safety standards. As parents, we would never accept a doll that made a third of girls hate their bodies or a remote control car that led to suicidal thoughts. Why should we accept these harms from social media?

Here are some things parents should know about kids and social media:

It’s not just teens – more elementary school-aged kids are using social media than ever before. 38% of 8-12 year-olds say they use social media, despite almost all major platforms being intended for kids 13 and up.
Social media hurts kids’ body image and self-esteem. 1 in 3 girls dislike their bodies by the time they are 14. Heavily filtered images, pro-eating disorder videos, and weight-loss industry ads targeting teens create a “perfect storm” for self-loathing.
More time on social media is connected to more anxiety and depression. As time on social media goes up for teens, so do symptoms of depression and anxiety – scary when 81% of teens say they use social media daily to “almost constantly.”
Sexual predators and exploitation are scarily common. 1 in 2 (54%) of digital age kids have an unwanted sexual experience online before they turn 18. Last year, more than 22 million unique child sexual abuse images (CSAI, sometimes called child pornography) were found online, and reports of grooming kids online for sexual abuse doubled. The largest category (81%) of “self-generated” CSAI is of 11-13-year-old girls.
Most kids will be harassed or bullied online at some point. 60% of kids report being bullied or harassed online at some point, and the Centers for Disease Control warns online bullying can have more severe mental health outcomes than other forms of bullying.
Social media is designed to be habit-forming, and it works. Platforms use design features like endless scrolling, notifications, and more to get and keep kids hooked – and they know it. 6 out of 10 teens say spending too much time online is a “major problem”, not surprising when they spend an average of 9 hours a day online.

Want to join the parent movement for a safer internet? Add your name here.

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