As artificial intelligence permeates our daily lives at a steady pace, children’s safety and privacy online continues to be a major concern for several governments and parliaments around the world. Australia has become the first country to require platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent children under 16 from accessing social media platforms. More than a dozen countries have since considered similar age-based restrictions.
In the United States, a landmark jury verdict found Meta and YouTube liable for negligently designing a system that was addictive and caused mental health distress to minors. Another child safety case in New Mexico points to a growing legal shift in responsibility for children’s online safety.
Alyson Stoner is an actor, singer, dancer, and writer whose work dates back to her childhood. Their roles can be seen in the films Cheaper by the Dozen, voice work for Phineas and Ferb, and background dancing for the likes of Missy E and Eminem. Stoner is also the author of the memoir “Half Well Adjusted Despite Literally Everything.” The memoir details their mental health struggles as child stars and draws powerful parallels between what they call the “toddler-to-wreck pipeline” of child stars and the impact social media currently has on all child users.
Since then, Stoner has become a mental health advocate and was the keynote speaker at the 2026 IAPP Global Summit. At the time, IAPP Editorial Director Jedidiah Bracey sat down with Alison to discuss her memoir and the profound impact social media and emerging AI systems are having on children’s neurological development.
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