A decade ago, Joe Gagliese founded Viral Nation, a marketing agency that helps young influencers promote their content. The company is hugely successful, and Gagliese is a big cheerleader for the power of social media to connect, entertain and educate. But while working on the front lines, he’s also seen the dangers that come with it. Some of the child influencers he works with receive threats and racist comments. Others have been targeted by predators. He can’t believe how ugly the online world can get.
Gagliese and his wife have three kids of their own, aged 14, five and three, and they’ve imposed strict rules on their children’s screen time and social media engagement. His oldest daughter is the only person in her class who doesn’t have a smartphone. She’ll be allowed to get one when she’s 16, and even then she’ll be subject to limitations. Gagliese has written a fascinating essay for Maclean’s about why he restricts his kids’ internet use. “Some blame tech platforms. Some blame schools. But I believe it’s parents who need to step up,” he writes.
—Emily Landau, executive editor
