Protect our kids

I am a user. A word boldly used to describe a social media consumer. And in my time in this spontaneous disaster called Facebook, I’ve encountered some drastic problems.

As an adolescent, I had a phone at age 12. And with that piece of technology, of course, the first thing I did was download the app known as Instagram. Putting me in a position of confusion of who to follow, what to post, and how many likes I received. I chose to follow my siblings, a comforting source of nostalgia seeing their faces glow with happiness. But I also fell into a hole, a deep one in which it buried me unknowingly. I continued to stare at unrealistic bodies of people with plastic surgery and filters which created a false impression of idealism. And I know there are many other individuals with stories like mine.

The Instagram algorithm is built to do this. Social media companies track your every move to make as much money as possible, no matter the risk.

Regulation is the only solution to these problems. So what I’m asking of you is simple. Please support the KIDS Act. Recently reintroduced by Senator Markey and Senator Blumenthal, members of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, along with Congresswoman Kathy Castor. The KIDS Act works to stop manipulative marketing and amplification of detrimental content towards children. Please contact your legislator to protect our kids.

Emily Gallagher

Spokane