AQ'S Corner

Photo credit: Pixabay: Geralt

Every once in a while, I come across a piece of research that makes me lean back, breathe slow, and think, “This is exactly what today’s families need to understand.”

That moment happened this week when I read a report from the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C. that focuses on protecting civil rights and human rights in the digital world. CDT does a lot of work around online privacy, technology policy, and digital safety, and they regularly conduct research to help lawmakers and companies design technology that truly supports people.

Their latest report, “What Kids and Parents Want: Policy Insights for Social Media Safety Features”, feels especially important right now. With so much conversation around how to keep children safe online, CDT decided to ask the people who live this reality every day: families themselves.

If you want to read the full report, here it is:
👉 https://cdt.org/insights/what-kids-and-parents-want-policy-insights-for-social-media-safety-features/

Below are the insights that stood out to me, and why they matter for every parent trying to guide a child through the messy, beautiful world of social media.

1. One-Size-Fits-All Safety Doesn’t Reflect Real Family Life

CDT’s research makes something very clear:
Children grow at different paces. Families operate with different values. Technology affects each household differently.

So when policies try to apply the same rules to every teenager and every parent, they usually fall short.

Parents don’t want rigid guardrails handed down from platforms or lawmakers.
They want options, flexible tools they can shape around their child’s needs and their family’s rhythms.

This finding alone reframes the entire conversation around online safety.

2. Parents Don’t Want Full Control Taken Away. They Want Better Tools.

CDT found that most parents aren’t asking for platforms to make decisions for them. In fact, many don’t want intrusive controls at all.

What families actually want are:

• Clear, customizable settings
• Guidance without micromanagement
• Features that grow with their child’s maturity
• Support that empowers, not restricts

Parents want to feel like partners with these platforms, not passengers in a runaway car.

3. Transparency Is the Bridge to Trust

Kids and adults alike feel frustrated when safety settings are vague, hidden, or confusing.

CDT’s report shows something simple yet powerful:
When families understand what a safety feature does, and how their data is handled , they are far more likely to use it.

Transparency isn’t optional anymore. It’s the foundation.

4. Kids Want to Be Part of the Decision-Making

This is one of the most meaningful findings: kids, especially teenagers, want safety features that respect them.

They don’t want secret monitoring.
They don’t want surprise restrictions.
They don’t want policies that assume they’re incapable of making good choices.

They want communication.
They want clarity.
They want boundaries that make sense and allow them to grow.

This lines up beautifully with what I teach in CyberHero Workshops: when kids understand why a rule exists, they’re far more likely to follow it.

5. Practical, Simple Safety Features Are the Ones Families Actually Use

Parents don’t have time for 12-layer menus or complicated setup flows.
Kids don’t have patience for settings that feel like punishment.

CDT’s research confirms that effective safety features share one thing in common:
They fit into real life.

Simple. Clear. Adaptable.
Not overwhelming. Not rigid.
Just useful.

Why This Matters, Especially Right Now

As a cybersecurity educator, a mother, and someone deeply invested in strengthening digital safety for families, this report hit home for me.

It’s a reminder that online safety isn’t built through fear, restrictions, or shutting kids out. It’s built through collaboration, communication, and thoughtful design.

CDT’s work gives us language for what so many parents already feel:

✨ “Support me. Don’t override me.”
✨ “Empower my child. Don’t silence them.”
✨ “Give us tools we can actually use, in a world that changes fast.”

This is the direction digital safety needs to move, toward partnership, not punishment.

If you’re a parent, educator, librarian, school leader, or community partner, I highly recommend reading the full CDT report. It’s one of the clearest roadmaps we have for understanding what families genuinely want and need right now.