“It is difficult to hear some parents say that their children know better.
My child was smart.
But he was also a boy with a 15-year-old brain.”
He loved the outdoors, and his favorite pastime was fishing.
He loved to entertain us with his witty humor and his amazing cooking skills.
He was living a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle.
But, in 2019, he died trying a viral social media trend.
On a perfectly routine evening, he went to take a shower.
I replied, I love you too, buddy.
Those were our last words.
His dad is a firefighter and immediately started CPR.
He was heroic and is the reason we were able to extend Masons life as much as we could.
While my husband was able to get a pulse back with CPR, Mason never woke up.
Mason was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced clinically brain dead.
He was on life support for three more days while they prepared his body for his organ donation.
Our lives have been forever changed, and we miss our sons generous and caring personality deeply.
Two weeks before his death, he showed me a different challenge on his phone.
I spoke with Mason about these harmful social media trends and how to avoid them.
I was the mom who monitored my kids devices and had all the parental controls turned on.
Families are desperately seeking answers on how to protect their children online.
I quickly realized that this was not isolated to my family.
These algorithms mimic the psychological thrill chronicgamblersreceive from playing slot machines.
The addiction is real.
Yet there are no substantial safeguards to protect them from harmful and age-inappropriate content online which is also extremelyaddictive.
Ive learned how severely lost and helpless we are to the ills of these platforms.
Kids and teens are experiencing a mental health epidemic in America.
But more needs to be done.
Parents arent asking for a free pass from parenting; they are asking for help.
We cant fight the addictive nature of these platforms designed by the biggest industry in America.
Parents, teachers and youth are asking for change.
I am very hopeful that the House will also pass the bill and it can be signed into law.
My child was smart.
But he was also a boy with a 15-year-old brain.
I pray that every parent realizes their child is considered prey by these companies.
They believe the seeds of misinformation that the platforms are purposefully planting.
Nothing will bring my beautiful Mason back, and I miss everything about him every day.
I want to live in a way that would make him proud and honor his memory.
So each time that I share his story of harm, I hope to save a child.
Our next generation deserves a better online world.
And, as parents, we need to stand together and ensure that they receive it.
This article originally appeared onHuffPost.
