Bullied teen’s suicide leads N.J. mom on quest for online youth-safety reform
Erin Popolo’s grief is inseparable from her activism.
For years, bullies had targeted her daughter, Emily Michaela Murillo, who struggled with bipolar disorder, dyslexia and ADHD. The taunting shifted online during the pandemic, and in January 2021, Emily could take no more cruelty. She drove her car into the Delaware & Raritan Canal, deliberately taking her life.
Ever since, Popolo has pressed for crackdowns on digital threats to young people. Even the perpetrators of online harm are victims themselves, she says.
“Social media for children is dehumanizing them,” Popolo, from South Brunswick, told NJ State House News Service. “These kids – even after she died – they logged into her funeral and they took it over. They hacked it. They posted porn. They threatened to blow her body and casket to ashes.”
A juvenile who allegedly intruded on the online services was charged with cyber harassment and making terroristic threats.
Amid growing studies linking online abuse to adolescent self-harm, tragedies like Popolo’s are spurring state and federal lawmakers to hold Big Tech accountable for contributing to social media mental-health risks. Early on, porn and bullying were the big threats. Now, platforms increasingly rely on features like games and chats designed to hook users. And the rise of artificial intelligence has led to deepfakes, or manipulated media – often, pornographic images or overdubbed news reports – that can be difficult to distinguish from genuine.
In May, Popolo endorsed the New Jersey Online Safety Agenda, a plan by the Democratic nominee for governor, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill. The goal is to protect all Garden State internet users from financial and other scams. For young social media users in particular, it would press Big Tech to ban targeted ads, restrict personal data collection, and require mental-health warnings. Sherrill also proposes a university-based social media addiction study center, a ban on cell phones during K-12 public school classes, and mandatory instruction on responsible and ethical technology use.
“As every parent knows, social media can have a devastating impact on our children — from promoting poor sleep habits to increasing loneliness, anxiety and depression,” Sherrill says on her campaign website. “At its worst, it has become a haven for cyberbullying and for glorifying substance abuse, sexual exploitation, eating disorders and even suicide.”
Her Republican opponent, Jack Ciatarrelli, hasn’t made online safety a central issue in his campaign. He didn’t respond to a NJ State House News Service request for comment.
Broad risks, growing defenses
Thorn, a nonprofit that builds technology to combat child abuse, reports that deepfake exploitation and sexual extortion target primarily children and teens, with boys age 14–17 especially vulnerable to sex schemes. About one in seven youth victims (15%) have harmed themselves in response to sextortion, with the rate rising to 28% among LGBTQ+ youth.
Tech companies say they take steps to shield young users.
The biggest social-media platforms, for instance, include buttons to flag abuse. In November, TikTok, with more than 8.6 billion videos submitted by users, and the National Parent-Teacher Association started the Digital Safety Partnership for Families, which guides parents and children on online dangers. Meta Platforms Inc., with 3.43 billion users on Instagram and Facebook, has a policy to report child sexual exploitation, abuse and nudity to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Nationally, child advocates are putting some hope in the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which would mark the biggest update for digital safety since the 1990s. The legislation would assign a “duty of care” responsibility to tech companies, with required features to keep damaging content from minors.
The bill passed in the U.S. Senate in 2024, though it stalled in the House. It was reintroduced in May 2025, with changes following complaints from the ACLU, the Center for Democracy and Technology, Fight for the Future and other civil-rights, privacy and digital-freedom groups. It’s awaiting a hearing in the Senate Commerce, Transportation and Commerce Committee.
“When your child is online, they are a product, and Big Tech is trying every method possible to keep them scrolling, clicking ads and sharing every detail of their life,” Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut and the bill’s co-sponsor, said in a statement. “Since Big Tech refuses to protect our children, it’s time for Congress to step in.”
Popolo, the South Brunswick mom, says its passage would be a major victory. “We need to protect our future generations because it’s a free-for-all out there right now,” she said.
New Jersey proposals
For New Jersey users of all social media, Governor Phil Murphy’s administration is taking steps on its own.
In April, Murphy signed a bill to make the production and distribution of deepfakes a third-degree crime when used for an unlawful purpose.
Also in April, New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin sued Discord Inc. – maker of a voice, video and text app with more than 600 million registered accounts – alleging that it failed to protect underage users from predators. In a statement issued to news media, Discord said: “We dispute the claims in the lawsuit and look forward to defending the action in court.”
As that lawsuit goes through the courts, New Jersey’s Democratic and Republican lawmakers are pushing for more online safety in general, with several proposed bills:
– S4153 would prohibit social media platforms from promoting eating disorders to underage users. Its identical Assembly version received Assembly approval and is awaiting a hearing before the Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens committee.
According to a report in the journal “Eating and Weight Disorders” involving nearly 12,000 children aged 9 to 14 found that each additional hour of social media or screen time increased the likelihood of developing eating disorder symptoms two years later.
“Protecting children online is a growing concern for families across New Jersey, particularly when it comes to the impact of social media content on youth mental health,” its sponsor, Senator Renee Burgess, a Democrat from Irvington, said in a statement to State House News.
– A5282 would require instruction on social media and cell phone addiction risks for public school students in grades 6-12. The bill is awaiting committee hearings.
“With rapidly advancing technology, the rise of artificial intelligence and greater access to social media and online platforms than ever before, it is so important that we prepare our students with the knowledge to safely navigate these spaces, both now and for their future,” said its sponsor, Assemblywoman Michele Matsikoudis, a Republican from New Providence.
– A4644, which is awaiting a committee hearing, would require social media companies to detect suspicious patterns, such as private messaging, involving adults and minors.
“Kids are being targeted by predators, exposed to harmful content, and manipulated by algorithms that care more about engagement than safety,” Miller said. “We need to draw the line and make sure these companies are doing their part to keep children safe online,” he added.
Two other bills, A4643 and A5848, which have cleared the Assembly, would create penalties for child endangerment via use of social media, and update the child endangerment statute to include AI technology.
“As a mom, I know how dangerous social media can be for kids, and that’s something I’ve focused on in the Assembly,” Katz said in a statement to NJ State House News Service. “We know predators are using these platforms to target children, and this bill gives law enforcement another tool to help make the internet safer.”
Last year, at least 40 states had youth online safety bills pending, according to the National Conference on State Legislatures. Popolo says the need for change is urgent, or else more families will suffer a loss like hers. On Aug. 3, Emily would have turned 22 years old.
“Our kids can’t be raised in a healthy way being attached to these screens anymore,” Popolo said. “Try talking to a 15-year-old right now – it’s painful.”
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
This article is written by Justus Wilhoit courtesy of the NJ State House News Service
