Parents’ roles have been significantly diminished in today’s society. Their authority has been displaced and, in many cases, replaced by the empowerment of children. Yet children need their parents to take the lead—to instill values, teach beliefs, and shield them from a world overflowing with overwhelming and often inappropriate content and choices. This power dynamic, where parents guide and children follow, defines healthy parenting.
However, we now live in a world where this structure has been upended. Parents are no longer the primary authority in their children’s lives—teachers, social media influencers, and even psychiatrists have stepped into roles once reserved for families. Schools now take on responsibilities beyond academics, shaping children’s social development and managing behavioral issues. Social media influencers, many unqualified to provide meaningful guidance, shape young minds on everything from self-image to personal values. Even psychiatrists, while essential for mental health care, are sometimes positioned as the ultimate decision-makers in a child’s identity and choices, sidelining parental input. As a result of societal shifts like these, parents are often confused about how to be the primary guides in their children’s lives. It’s time we restore the balance so that parents are able to function in their role with more confidence.
A parent’s role is to maintain boundaries, model healthy behavior, and act as the brakes on their children’s impulses. Yet nowhere has parents’ ability to do these things for their children been eroded more than in the online world, where few boundaries exist and it’s difficult for even the most involved parents to keep track of their children’s online activities. Forty-six percent of parents with teenagers are concerned about social media exposing their children to explicit content, a concern the American Psychological Association (APA) backs. More than half of parents today believe that parenting is harder than it was 20 years ago. By giving parents more authority over their children’s digital lives, not only are we safeguarding the mental and physical health of future generations, but also alleviating some of the stress parents are experiencing.
The first step is to establish a cohesive federal framework that prioritizes children’s well-being online. Late last year, Australia became the first nation to ban youth under 16 from using social media. Federal policies protecting children and restoring parental authority are similarly needed in America, but their implementation must balance safety with respect for individual privacy.
Some moves by online content providers to give parents better control are already underway. A recent decision by Roblox, the wildly popular online gaming platform, to implement parental controls accessible directly from parents’ devices is a positive step in restoring their authority over children’s digital lives. These controls allow parents to set limits on playtime, manage in-game communication, and restrict exposure to inappropriate content, giving them more influence over their children’s online experiences. Instagram’s introduction of teen accounts for users under 18, offering stricter privacy settings and limits on who can interact with younger users, is a positive development. Legislative efforts to reinforce parental control are also being considered, and in the case of Australia’s law, on the way to being implemented.
In the United States, proposals like the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which passed the Senate last year but stalled in the House, would require platforms to implement stricter controls and provide parents with tools to manage their children’s online experiences, supporting parents in navigating an increasingly complex digital landscape. KOSA is set to be reintroduced in the Senate this year. A new piece of proposed legislation would go further: The Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA) would ban kids younger than 13 from creating or maintaining social media accounts, something most platforms already restrict, but would also prohibit content from being algorithmically targeted to users under age 17. The bipartisan bill, which also requires schools to block access to social media, has cleared its committee but faces stiff opposition by the tech industry.
Such legislation would help reduce the constant burden on parents to monitor their children’s online activities. This enables parents to focus on guiding their children to make informed decisions—both online and in life—as they mature. Research shows that adolescence extends well into the mid-20s, as the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for judgment, impulse control, and emotional regulation—continues to develop during this period.
A law like Australia’s raises an important question, however: How will it be enforced? Social media platforms might require users to verify their age with government-issued identification—a step that raises significant privacy concerns. Many parents may be understandably hesitant to share sensitive personal data online, fearing potential misuse or breaches. Policymakers must carefully address these logistical and ethical concerns to ensure that protecting children does not come at the cost of families’ privacy or autonomy. Australia is funding a study of age-verification technology for its law, and KOSA calls for the Department of Commerce to study age-verification systems that would balance effectiveness with data privacy, while KOSMA would not require social media platforms to collect age-related data or ID.
Similarly, there’s been discussion about the need for legislation requiring parental permission for children to download apps, including measures that would enforce age-appropriate app ratings and restrict downloads by minors. Such a bill is under consideration by Utah’s state legislature, and similar measures have been filed in Alaska and South Carolina.
Some critics argue that federal regulations like these impose a one-size-fits-all solution and fail to account for families’ differing needs and values. For example, a family that prioritizes strict privacy might feel uncomfortable with government-mandated oversight, while a family with more flexible rules might view these regulations as an unnecessary limitation on their autonomy. However, what federal regulation can offer is a unified structure that establishes baseline protections for all children, regardless of their unique circumstances. Parents should not be expected to battle corporate interests or navigate a chaotic digital landscape on their own. Government oversight provides a foundation to safeguard even the most vulnerable children, while also allowing parents the space to focus on instilling their values and life lessons at home.
The vast majority of parents understand their role as protectors, but in our modern world, they need support in fulfilling it. Parents must remain actively involved in their children’s online lives, setting limits and guiding their decisions to ensure they grow up to navigate both the digital and real world responsibly.
Measures like the one introduced in Australia provide essential frameworks to support parents. Federal policies like KOSA and KOSMA also represent vital steps toward protecting children and restoring parental authority, but their implementation must balance safety with respect for individual privacy.
Our children are depending on us to fix this. As the adults in the room, we must reclaim control for their sake.
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