As a former city councilor in Fayetteville, I know keeping communities safe never really ends. There is always work to be done, legislation to improve, and new concerns to address. Over the past several years, one of those threats has been the spread of intoxicating hemp products sold at gas stations and convenience stores in candy-like packaging with no age requirements for purchase.
As a father, I have a responsibility to protect my family. Our adversaries come in many forms, but in recent years, it is the poisonous content that makes its way onto children’s phones that gives me concern. Parents across the nation understand all too well the consequences of overexposure to digital devises and acknowledge that keeping inappropriate material off our kids’ screens starts with common-sense policies that put us parents at the forefront of our children’s online experience.
One of the biggest joys of being a parent is having the opportunity to guide your child’s growth and development and judge what’s best for their individual needs. Proposed legislation before Congress such as the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) would strip that choice from parents, removing the right to decide what content their children can access online based on their values and beliefs.
