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After a teen’s death, questions arise about what kids are seeing online

Joann Bogard holds a photo of her 15-year-old son Mason as she speaks during a Rally to Protect Kids Online on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)
Jose Luis Magana/AP
Joann Bogard holds a photo of her 15-year-old son Mason as she speaks during a Rally to Protect Kids Online on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

After her 15-year-old son Mason died following a viral online challenge, Joann Bogard began asking how dangerous content reached him in the first place. Now, as a jury finds Meta and YouTube negligent for addictive design, her story sits at the center of a reckoning over what social media platforms owe young users.

Bogard speaks with Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd about the loss of her son, what she’s learned about how harmful content reaches kids, and why she believes this moment could change how social media works.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

Here & Now Newsroom