PHOENIX — Facebook turned 20 years old on Sunday.
Over the past two decades, more and more social media giants have popped up.
With kids logging on younger than ever before, the fight to make the online space safe for kids and teens remains a constant battle.
“We know that kids are under such pressure these days with social media. It’s essentially like they’re walking through a field of land mines," Jeffrey Gottfurcht said. “Social media has been around now for 20 years and we’re still dealing with the same issues and they’re not getting better."
As a father, Gottfurcht said he's searching for ways to protect kids and teens from the negative consequences of social media.
“Big tech didn’t care about what happens to our kids," Gottfurcht said.
Social media companies, including Meta, have added protections for kids using their platforms, but experts said young, developing brains are vulnerable to more than what the companies might deem inappropriate.
“The ability to filter what is reality versus what is fictionalized and what they see online," HonorHealth Associate Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jared Berkowitz said.
MORE INFORMATION: Parents seek more safeguards for kids and teens online
Berkowitz said at a young age, kids and teens need help understanding what they see online and how their actions behind the screen impact others in real life.
He said it's not a bad idea for parents to have an open device policy at home.
“This sparks an opportunity just to continue getting to know them more," Berkowitz said. "Ask them what social media they like, which ones are their friends on and why? Why do you enjoy TikTok? Why do you enjoy Instagram? What are the things you look at? What are the things that excites you about it?”
Gotturcht told 12News he wants to make those conversations easier for parents.
“A child’s whole life is on social media and we really wanted to create a tool where parents are able to see that," Gottfurcht said.
His Phoenix-based company, Cyber Dive, created a smartphone designed for first-time phone users that allows parents to monitor their kids' activity online.
“It doesn’t matter if they’re on YouTube, if they’re on TikTok, if they’re on Snapchat, we cover over 8,000 social media platforms and we show all of that to the parent in an app and most importantly, it’s all in real time," Gottfurcht said.
Proposed legislation, including the Kids Online Safety Act, aims to provide parents with more protections.
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