Every day in the classroom, students become consumed by apps that are designed to fixate them. What keeps me awake at night, as a mother and an educator, is how to protect our children in the digital world, much less the meaningful tools to protect them.

I count myself among the 88% of parents who support stronger safeguards at the gateways to the digital world — and we aren’t asking for a lot. Neither of my teenagers can attend a school field trip without my written permission, so why should they enter anonymous chat forums, virtual reality experiences, and violent video game worlds without my knowledge? The same supervision that is standard for kids on the playground ought to follow them on their phones and tablets.

That is the premise of the App Store Accountability Act (HR 3149). The bill, which recently advanced to the House floor thanks to support from Pennsylvania’s Rep. John Joyce (R-PA-13), creates a safer experience for kids and more manageable system for parents by requiring parental permission for minors’ app downloads and purchases.

By verifying users’ age at the app store and linking parent and minor accounts, the bill grants parents a clear, real-time picture of the platforms shaping their kids’ digital lives and full veto power over which apps are appropriate for their children.

Protecting our children isn’t a partisan issue — it’s a basic, shared responsibility. I encourage our entire Pennsylvania congressional delegation to listen to parents and pass the App Store Accountability Act.

Shelli Bird

Saylorsburg