Graphic videos of Charlie Kirk’s assassination spread like weeds over social media last week in a way that it made it difficult for the youngest online to avoid the bloodshed.

From autoplay on X to friends sharing the footage in group chats, both young people who loved and hated the conservative leader saw the videos in ways that are leading to renewed calls for online safety legislation and lessons from schools on how to handle graphic social media content.

Kelly Benjamin, a mother of two who has worked in media and technology for years, said she found out about Kirk’s assassination through her daughter, a sophomore in high school, who came home announcing the news and saying that she already watched it happen.

“As a parent, hearing your child say that they've already witnessed someone

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