Children in a Digital World: March Message from the Director

Recently, Louisiana’s Attorney General, Liz Murrill, announced legal action involving Roblox Corporation, raising concerns about the safety of children interacting on digital platforms. The lawsuit centers on allegations that the platform has not done enough to protect young users from harmful interactions and content.

As both a child advocate and the mother of three children growing up in a digital age, this conversation feels very close to home. I know firsthand how easy it is to slip into unhealthy screen time habits and how difficult it can be to continuously monitor online activities.

When my children were younger, my husband and I made the decision not to allow our children to have access to platforms like Roblox or social media in our home. It was definitely not a popular decision. Many of their friends had access to these platforms, and there were certainly moments when my children felt left out. Like most families, we also experienced the reality that children naturally push against the boundaries and limits that parents set.

But for me, the decision was rooted in something simple: I did not want strangers to have access to my children, and I did not want them to feel the pressures of social media before their developing minds were ready for it. Adolescence is already a difficult season of life. Navigating identity, friendships, and self-confidence is challenging enough without the added weight of online validation, public comparison, and the permanence of what is shared on the internet.

Even now, with all three of my children in their teenage years, the conversations about internet safety are ongoing. We talk frequently about the permanence of what is posted online, about privacy, and about the reality that not everyone on the other side of a screen is who they claim to be.

Despite every rule, conversation, and safeguard we as parents believe we are putting in place, there is a truth many of us eventually come to realize: there is only so much control we have. Children encounter these platforms through friends, at school, or in places where adults may not be watching closely. Technology moves quickly, and access is often easier than parents realize.

Listening to experts discuss the dangers of platforms like Roblox, Snapchat, and Discord in recent podcasts has been deeply unsettling. Even platforms that appear completely safe or innocent, such as Pinterest, can sometimes be used by young people to access inappropriate or harmful content. These platforms can offer connection and creativity, but they can also provide opportunities for predators to contact children, build trust, and manipulate them over time.

For children who have experienced abuse or neglect, these risks can be even greater. Many children served by CASA have experienced trauma, instability, or disruptions in supervision that make them particularly vulnerable to exploitation and manipulation online.

But the truth is that no child is immune.

The risks that exist online do not only affect children in the foster care system. They affect children in every neighborhood, every school, and every community. Any child with access to a device can encounter someone online who does not have their best interests at heart.

For parents, this reality can feel frightening. It can also feel overwhelming. Yet awareness remains one of the most powerful tools we have. Conversations with our children matter. Asking questions about the games they play, the apps they use, and the people they interact with online creates opportunities for trust and transparency.

At the same time, technology companies must take responsibility for the environments they create. Platforms used by millions of children should prioritize safety, transparency, and meaningful safeguards. The legal action brought by the Louisiana Attorney General reflects a growing recognition that protecting children must extend into the digital spaces where they increasingly spend their time.

At CASA, our mission is to ensure that children who have experienced abuse or neglect have someone standing beside them and advocating for their best interests. As the world changes, that advocacy must include awareness of the environments children inhabit online as well as offline.

Our children deserve to explore, learn, and connect in spaces that are safe. And as parents, advocates, and communities, we all share the responsibility of helping to make that possible.

Resources for Parents and Caregivers

For families looking to learn more about protecting children online, the following organizations provide helpful tools and guidance:

• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children – Through its NetSmartz program, NCMEC offers resources to help parents and children understand online safety, recognize warning signs, and report concerning activity.

• Common Sense Media – Provides age-based reviews of apps, games, and social media platforms, along with guidance for parents navigating digital media with their children.

• Federal Bureau of Investigation – The FBI’s Safe Online Surfing initiative offers resources to help families understand online risks and how to report suspected exploitation.

Amanda Moody

Louisiana CASA Association Executive Director

Louisiana CASA State Director

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