Why Keeping Kids Off Social Media Isn't Enough Anymore

The internet kids are growing up with looks completely different from the one their parents knew. Social media, online gaming, private messaging, VPNs, cyberbullying, sextortion, and rapidly evolving technology have created a digital landscape that's increasingly difficult for parents and schools to navigate. In this episode of Marketing Moves, host Ashtyn Morris sits down with Neal Alexander, Founder and CEO of CyberSafely AI, and Torino Fitzgerald, Fractional Executive Director of the CyberSafely Foundation and Interim Operations Lead for CyberSafely AI, to discuss how a conversation between a father and son turned into a mission to help protect children online. What began as a tool focused on monitoring social media has evolved into an AI-powered platform designed to identify potentially concerning online behavior and give parents an opportunity to step in and start a conversation before a situation escalates. In this episode, you'll learn: → How a conversation with Neal's son inspired the creation of CyberSafely → Why protecting kids online now goes far beyond monitoring social media → How AI can help identify concerning digital behavior and alert parents → Why CyberSafely doesn't want parental monitoring to become a "gotcha" moment → How schools, counselors, parents, corporations, and nonprofits can all play a role in online safety → Why preparing kids to use technology responsibly is also becoming a workforce readiness issue → How CyberSafely is working through schools to reach families at scale → Why marketing a mission-driven technology company requires different messages for parents, schools, corporations, and sponsors → How AI helped the team navigate a major operational transition in a matter of weeks → What Neal and Torino believe needs to change about the way the next generation uses social media The goal isn't to keep kids away from technology. It's to help them learn how to navigate it safely, productively, and with adults who are equipped to support them. Whether you're a parent, educator, marketer, business leader, or simply someone thinking about the impact technology is having on the next generation, this conversation offers an important look at the challenges kids face online and what we can do about them.