INDIANAPOLIS – A bill signed by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb would give schools the tools they need to teach children how to stay safe online.
Joann Bogard advocated for this law after her son Mason died while attempting a viral and dangerous online challenge.
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“He wasn’t really a big fan of social media,” Bogard said. “He liked YouTube and watching videos about how to make better fishing lures and improving his woodworking skills.”
Mason died in Evansville in 2019 while attempting the Blackout Challenge. Bogard found it shocking because she regularly spoke to her son about social media, but says she forgot one thing.
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“I forgot to take into account that he was a 15-year-old boy whose brain was not yet fully developed,” Bogard said. “He was very typical and succumbed to the evils that came with that.”
After Mason’s death, Bogard knew she had to do something, and the result was the passage of a law in Indiana.
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Part of HEA 1243 creates resources for schools to provide their students with appropriate Internet safety teaching tools.
Advocacy groups say these challenges still remain a problem.
“We continue to see dangerous challenges circulating on social media that cause serious harm or even death to children, teens and tweens,” said Marc Berkman, CEO of the Organization for Social Media Safety.
Joann just hopes the legislation will save lives.
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“Yes, I think Mason would still be here today if we had had the training opportunities,” Bogard said.
WRTV has contacted several schools to find out if they plan to implement the law.
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None of the schools were available for an interview, but Noblesville schools said they teach internet safety in all grade levels. The legislation is still being reviewed to see if further changes need to be made in the future.
The list of teaching materials will be available to schools for access and lesson planning from the 2025 school year.
Bogard herself continues to advocate for her children’s safety on the Internet at the national level. She is calling on Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act.
