Help Us Reach the Tipping Point

Momentum is building. Can you sense it?

Late last week, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram announced a major policy change in how they deal with nude images in direct messages. Instagram’s new Nudity Protection feature, which will be turned on by default for users under 18, will blur nude images sent through direct messages (DMs) on the app and will prompt users to “Think twice before sending nude images” when the app detects nudity in a user's DMs.

The announcement from Meta came just days after two Nigerian brothers entered a plea of “guilty” in a sextortion plot that led a Michigan teen to take his own life.

Then on Tuesday of this week, the American Psychological Association released a major new report highlighting the risks of addiction to social media for teens because of features like “endless scrolling” and push notifications.

The following day, the House Energy and Commerce committee held a hearing on legislative solutions to protect kids online and ensure American’s data privacy rights.

Across the partisan divide, and in both chambers of Congress, there is consensus that something must be done to keep kids safe from addictive algorithms, from predators and pornography, from extortion and exploitation.

In his book, “The Tipping Point,” author Malcolm Gladwell defines the “tipping point” as “that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.”

I think we’ve almost reached that “tipping point” on public opinion about kids and social media.

We now need your help to reach that critical mass of people who recognize that social media poses a serious threat to the healthy development of children and teens and that something must be done to protect them.

That’s why we must act now. And YOU can make the difference.

You have enabled the PTC to reach more parents and grandparents, to educate them about the potential harm that faces their children and grandchildren online. But there’s still so much we need to do to make meaningful change to create a safer media environment for children and to protect them from online harm.

PTC is working with national, state, and local governments to ensure adequate protections for children by calling for investigations and hearings to hold tech executives accountable, educating and equipping parents to protect their children, and pushing for meaningful legislation and reforms to keep kids safe online.

Your gift today will help us carry-on this vital work. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to support our work.

Please act now! Because our children are watching.