As a mother of five children ranging from 6 to 13 years old, I’ve learned that parenting requires constant adaptation. Nowhere is that more evident than in the digital world. Technology has become woven into nearly every part of childhood, from school assignments and communication with friends to entertainment and learning.
As a licensed pharmacist and the creator behind PharmaSue, I spend much of my time educating people online about health, wellness and everyday life. My children occasionally help me brainstorm ideas, film content and understand how technology can be used to educate and inspire others. I want them to see the internet as a place where people can learn, create and build meaningful connections.
At the same time, I recognize that every opportunity technology provides comes with new responsibilities. Like many parents, my husband and I regularly talk with our children about screen time, online privacy, digital citizenship and making thoughtful decisions when interacting with others online. Those conversations are important, but they can only go so far.
Parents today face an increasingly complicated digital landscape. New apps emerge almost daily, platforms frequently change their privacy settings and safety features, and every service seems to have its own approach to age verification and parental controls. Even parents who are comfortable with technology can struggle to keep up.
One of my biggest concerns is the growing number of messaging and social media platforms available to children. Many look nearly identical to one another, making it difficult for parents to know which apps their children are using, who they are communicating with and what safeguards are actually in place. Age verification also varies significantly from platform to platform. Without a consistent system, it becomes easier for individuals to misrepresent their age and potentially interact with minors in ways families never intended.
As a healthcare professional, I’ve seen firsthand how consistency improves safety. Whether we’re discussing medication labels, dosing instructions or patient education, standardized information helps people make informed decisions. The same principle should apply to online safety. Parents should not have to learn a completely different set of rules for every app their child downloads.
When lawmakers discuss children’s online safety, I hope they prioritize solutions that simplify the experience for families rather than adding another layer of complexity. Parents need clear expectations, reliable safeguards and tools that work consistently across the digital ecosystem.
The App Store Accountability Act offers one possible approach by placing greater responsibility at the app store level. A more centralized process for age verification and parental consent could provide families with greater consistency while helping parents better understand the protections available before children begin using an app. Regardless of the specific policy solution, the broader goal should remain the same: creating an online environment that is easier for families to navigate and safer for children.
Technology should empower children to learn, explore and connect with others, but it should also give parents confidence that appropriate safeguards are in place. Families should not have to become cybersecurity experts just to help their children safely use the internet.
As both a pharmacist and a mother, I believe the best solutions are often the simplest ones. Parents deserve online safety tools that are easy to understand, practical to use and consistent across platforms. By reducing confusion and increasing transparency, we can better protect children while allowing families to enjoy the many benefits technology has to offer.
Dr. Sue Ojageer, PharmD, is a clinical pharmacist, health educator, content creator and mother of five based in Dallas, Texas. Through her platform, PharmaSue, she shares trusted health, wellness, beauty and lifestyle education with audiences across social media.