EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) – Since 2019, an Indiana mother has been pushing to make internet safety for children a priority for everyone after her son, Mason, died from a viral “choking challenge.”
14 News spoke to Joann Bogard in 2022.
Their goal then was the same as it is today: to bring about change in a system that they believe is not geared towards children.
“In 2019, our then 15-year-old son Mason was presented with the ‘choking challenge’ via the algorithms on YouTube,” says Bogard. “He tried it and it ended up being fatal for him.”
After his death, 15-year-old Mason Bogard donated his organs to five different people.
Since then, his mother’s mission has been to ensure that his name and memory continue to have an impact.
“The algorithms are designed to keep eyes on the screen, so let’s imagine that when kids watch 50 videos of kids fainting and waking up, and they post the videos and get the laughs and likes they crave in today’s online world, they get a false sense of security,” Bogard says.
The difference in Joann’s fight today, five years later, is that she finally has some laws on her side, and possibly more on the way.
In March, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed the Mason’s Education Act and planned a ceremonial signing of the bill by the governor for August 15.
Meanwhile, the federal Kids Online Safety Act passed the Senate in July with a bipartisan majority of 91:3 and is on its way to the House of Representatives.
Joann says Mason was a fighter and a protector and it’s an honor to have his name associated with legislation that will hopefully prevent other parents from experiencing what she went through.
“He always tried to find ways to protect others, and I think this law continues his legacy,” she says. “Just the fact that his name is associated with this law is an honor.”
The Mason’s Education Act would provide Indiana schools with tools to teach children about internet safety, while KOSA would require federal social media companies to better protect users under 17, for example by providing more parental control over certain features and special pages for reporting harmful content.
The House of Representatives is still on its six-week summer recess and will not return to Washington until September 9.
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