The teenaged boy was the victim of what local news sources called a "social-media challenge" or "TikTok stunt" gone awry. He'd been with a group of friends who were filming the exploit, and who fled the scene without calling for help for fear of getting arrested - though, naturally, they also immediately posted video of the accident to social media.
The CEO, Adam Mosseri, described Instagram, which is owned by Meta, as a steward of strong safety protocols for teenagers. Social media could cause some harm, he said, but the company was careful to test features used by young people before releasing them. He added that people could be addicted to social media in the same way that they could be addicted to a good television show, but that did not mean they were "clinically addicted," which was more serious.
If my daughter calls because she is out on Ocean Beach, which is where kids gather on the weekends, and it's 10 pm, and I've had a martini, then I'm not going to say, Oh, take the 38 [bus],
I was never grounded. I never got my phone taken away. My parents really never yelled at me, and I feel like they had a pretty controversial parenting style, but it's also the exact way that I would raise my kids if I were to have them. I was allowed to do whatever I wanted to do. I was allowed to go to parties. I was allowed to drink. I told my mom before I smoked weed for the first time.
NGL quickly climbed the App Store charts after its launch in late 2021, joining a group of similar apps popular among teens that allow users to send and receive anonymous questions and messages. But it's been embroiled in controversy for most of its existence. Anonymous messaging apps are problematic because they can encourage bullying among teens - Snapchat banned third-party apps like NGL, LMK, Sendit, and YOLO from its platform in 2022 after a parent sued the company for its alleged role in her teenage son's suicide.
In the same announcement, the company says it's rolling out a new in-house "age assurance model" that classifies a user's age based on the type of characters they choose to chat with, in combination with other on-site or third-party data information. Both new and existing users will be run through the age model, and users flagged as under-18 will automatically be directed to the company's teen-safe version of its chat, which it rolled out last year, until the November cutoff.
Snapchat has launched a new digital literacy program, called "The Keys," which aims to highlight the dangers of online interaction for young users, and better equip them with knowledge on how to protect themselves, and avoid problems in social apps. "Developed in collaboration with Common Sense Media, informed by safety experts, and reviewed by members of Snap's teen Council for Digital Well-Being, this program aims to educate teens about four key risks they may face online - bullying, illicit drug activity, nude and intimate images, and sextortion - and teaches platform-specific skills for helping to stay safe on Snapchat.
Carly Calland recalls her son Jacob as always busy and active, but after a catastrophic e-scooter crash, he tragically lost his life just 18 minutes after leaving home.
