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As a healthcare journalist and advocate with Inside Medicine, where our mission is to unite patients, physicians, and communities through shared local healthcare information, we are deeply concerned about the amount of time kids spend on their devices. If you are a parent like me, odds are that you have thought about the role technology plays in your child’s life. I often find myself asking: how should I manage screen use with my children? Is what I am doing ok? Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to that question.
On the one hand, phones and other devices mean that children can play educational games or watch a show while I have a little peace and quiet to get some things done. These obvious upsides also come with potential downsides. The fact is that there is content online that can present real risks for children. It is difficult for parents to even know where to start when it comes to keeping our children safe from those threats.
Of course, parents here in Alabama are not the only ones struggling to raise their children in the digital age. It is a challenge facing families across the country. However, with more parents than ever voicing their concerns about the need for more protection, lawmakers in other states have taken actions that could serve as a model for our own elected leaders.
That is why the App Store Accountability Act, a bill introduced in the State House by Representatives Sells, Mooney, Stadthagen, and Bracy, is a crucial step forward in protecting parental rights in the digital world. The bill would require app store providers to verify the age of users, link minor accounts to parent accounts, and secure parental approval before children and teens can download new apps. In an era where kids are spending an unprecedented amount of time on their devices, this bill provides a necessary safeguard to ensure parents have the tools to enforce household rules and protect their children from harmful content.
A new poll reveals overwhelming support among Alabama voters for requiring app stores to obtain parental approval before allowing children and teens to download apps — the aim of legislation currently being fast-tracked in both chambers of the Alabama Legislature.
A survey of 600 likely Alabama voters, commissioned by the Alabama Policy Institute and conducted by research firm Cygnal, found that 83 percent of voters support requiring app stores to implement a parental approval system. That level of support spans political lines, with 89 percent of Republicans, 75 percent of Democrats and Independents, and more importantly 83 percent of Alabama parents backing the idea.
It is encouraging to see that legislators are recognizing the challenges parents face in managing their children’s digital access and are considering a streamlined solution where app download approval is granted in one place rather than separately for each app.
Every parent wants to protect their child from online dangers, and I appreciate that lawmakers are trying to give parents tools to keep kids safe. I encourage our lawmakers to continue prioritizing child safety online through measures like age verification requirements and collaborating with parents to keep kids safe online with smart, targeted solutions.
