Protecting our children from data-driven digital systems is becoming increasingly difficult. Today, a child who doesn’t use WhatsApp or Instagram often faces social exclusion. When classmates are talking about trending topics on Twitter and your child is left in the dark, it can create serious psychological and social challenges. Sure, schools may have rules banning phones, but how strictly are these enforced? And outside of school hours, we have no established systems to restrict access to these platforms.
Supposedly, there are tools to help—Apple’s Screen Time and Android’s Family Link. While these apps offer basic reports and restrictions on screen time, video content, and visited websites, the psychological toll of these limits often gets overlooked. When you say “no” to a child without context or understanding, it often backfires emotionally.
Back in 2021, a mother in Connecticut filed a lawsuit against Instagram, claiming that her 11-year-old daughter Selena became addicted to these platforms, leading to her eventual suicide. Tammy Rodriguez argued that Instagram and Snapchat were designed to be highly addictive, especially to young users, encouraging repeated use. She also stated that despite the platforms having minimum age requirements, they lacked proper parental controls and effective age verification systems. And honestly, she has a point. When setting up these apps, the only question asked is your birthdate—which is incredibly easy to bypass.
The therapist who evaluated Selena even noted that they had never encountered a patient as addicted to social media. According to the mother, her daughter’s excessive use of Instagram and Snapchat contributed to depression, insomnia, school absenteeism, eating disorders, self-harm, and ultimately, her death.
These serious accusations and other ongoing reports eventually placed Meta (formerly Facebook) under intense scrutiny. In response, Instagram began implementing some new features like parental controls and began rethinking its algorithmic feed structure. But complaints about the platform’s addictive nature and its unsafe environment for minors still persist.
In December 2022, Meta’s director published a LinkedIn post about age verification and child safety on their platforms. The message was: “At Meta, we want to make sure the right people are having the right experiences. That’s why we use age detection and verification tools to prevent under-18s from accessing adult content.” They claimed that 96% of children trying to register with a fake age were blocked. But let’s be real—kids will always find a workaround. That’s why the responsibility lies primarily with us, the parents. And we can’t say “don’t use it” while scrolling through the same apps ourselves. If we want to inspire change, we have to lead by example—honestly and consistently.
Advertising Exposure Among Children
Digital ad platforms are notoriously negligent when it comes to respecting age limitations. This isn’t just about showing adults-only content to minors. I’m talking about showing an 8-year-old an app rated 13+, or my 10-year-old daughter a car commercial. One of the most frustrating aspects? The same game might be rated 7+ in the Android store and 13+ in Apple’s App Store. This inconsistency exists across hundreds of apps. So who’s right—Google or Apple? We don’t even have a centralized authority to decide.
Digital platforms, including massive ones like Facebook and YouTube, are constantly tweaking their algorithms and subscription models to better serve—and, let’s be honest, retain—users. Facebook made a few notable changes in 2022:
- Banning ads for users under 16,
- Restricting Meta app access for anyone under 13,
- Enhancing algorithms to combat misinformation and hate speech.
These steps seem positive. Let’s just hope they’re not mere PR stunts. Because as data volume explodes, managing it will only become more challenging. Tomorrow’s data environment will be exponentially larger than today’s. Are we ready for that? What happens when the metaverse becomes mainstream? We’re hurtling toward a future where emotional manipulation is disguised as entertainment, and children are being nudged toward a manufactured, advertisement-fueled reality. Don’t let your child walk into that trap. Hold their hand and guide them. I’ll explain more practical steps in the “Unfollow” section of the series.
That said, not all apps are evil. In fact, many educational and developmental apps can offer real value to children. The point isn’t to demonize digital spaces but to use them responsibly—especially as parents. With mindful use and proper guidance, we can turn digital tools into meaningful assets. Learn to take what’s beneficial and discard what isn’t.
