My Father’s Day request: A safer internet in honor of my lost son

Shiny new toolboxes, maybe dinner out at Red Lobster, or a family day in the countryside — all great Father’s Day gifts. 

But I want something infinitely more precious. I want my son back. 

Five years ago, my youngest child, Matthew, went upstairs after dinner and finished his homework to use the one hour of daily screen time we allowed him. While scrolling on TikTok, he came across the viral “blackout challenge,” in which children are encouraged to choke themselves to the point of passing out to make a funny video.