A Front-Line Fight

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The front lines of war are always dangerous places.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, frontline is defined as “The foremost line or part of an armed force; the furthest position that an army has reached and where the enemy is or may be engaged.”

It’s where the bold and brave come face-to-face with unsafe tasks or their enemies.

Throughout history, countless brave men and women have selflessly given their lives in numerous battles to protect those they cared about and those they will never meet.

Unfortunately, in 2026, another type of war is prevalent in today’s culture. The perceived enemies of this war are the families trying to protect their children from pornography, addiction, mental health issues, criminal activity, and more.

Yet these parents and guardians on the defensive line are facing the daily challenges of this culture war, and their biggest obstacle is something called “the internet.”

Today, most of us in this fight, both parents and children alike, carry this war around with us in our pockets and school backpacks – in the form of internet-capable devices.

While these devices can be valuable tools, they also pose a risk to those untrained in handling their immense power. The age at which that power is given keeps getting younger.

According to a 2022 National Library of Medicine article:

Mobile phone adoption in the United States is starting in late childhood and early adolescence; currently, 53% of children have a smartphone by age 11. Later in adolescence, mobile phone use remains high, with over 95% of teens ages 13 to 17 years having access to a cell phone. In addition, over 90% of teens report using their phones to pass the time, connect with others (84%), and learn new things (83%).

But smartphones aren’t the only issue.

Common Sense Media reported last year that “By age 2, four in 10 children have their own tablet (40%). By age 4, more than half (58%) of children have their own tablet. By age 8, one in four children have their own cellphone."

These young children can barely feed themselves without assistance. Yet on each of these devices, these children are just one click away from exposure to countless online dangers.

In 2025, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), an organization devoted to finding missing children and fighting against child sexual exploitation, released what they witnessed on the internet battlefield. Its “2025 CyberTipline Report” explained their findings for the year, which included:

The CyberTipline received 1.4 million reports concerning online enticement in 2025, which included more than 800 reports in which an offender traveled to meet a child in person and more than 80,000 reports concerning sextortion.
NCMEC received an average of 137 reports of financial sextortion a day – a 37% increase in reports daily compared to the year before.
[The] CyberTipline received more than 3,000 reports concerning sadistic online exploitation – a more than 125% increase over last year, largely driven by enhanced industry reporting.
[R]eports to the CyberTipline related to child sex trafficking increased by 323% compared to 2024.
NCMEC referred more than 18.8 million reports to law enforcement and designated more than 4.5 million reports as informational when making them available to law enforcement.

As heartbreaking as this report is, something even sadder is that due to the weight of this battle, many of these precious children suffer tragic wounds – some that are even fatal.

Studies have shown that children who are given smartphones before their teenage years often face struggles such as low self-esteem, relationship issues, suicidal thoughts, and more.

NCMEC also reported that when it comes to sextortion, “Tragically, NCMEC is aware of at least three dozen teenage boys in the U.S. who have taken their lives as a result of being victimized by this crime.”

There is no doubt that today’s children are fighting a vicious battle. Many times, whether they voice it or not, they also feel alone.

Today’s parents need to take a stand to protect them.

Points of parenthood are often referred to as “being in a trench” - at least parents are given that cover for safety. Meanwhile, these children are running to catch a school bus, playing a video game with their friends, or turning in for the night with a war waging in their hands.

As parents, we must be willing to do the hard things and fight for our children, even if that means taking away these devices, setting up screen-free times, replacing high-tech phones with old-school flip phones, getting involved with local lawmakers to fight for online protection, or any other means necessary to protect our children.

Their future is on the line.

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