California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and California Partners Project Convene TikTok, Meta, Pinterest, and Local Families to Discuss Keeping Kids Safe Online

Wednesday's Event Marked the Release of California Partners Project's New Tech/Life Balance Report and Family Guide

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and her non-profit, California Partners Project, convened representatives from TikTok, Meta, and Pinterest in San Francisco to discuss how to keep kids safe online. The event included parents featured in California Partners Project's new report and family guide: Tech/Life Balance: Helping Families Thrive in a Digital World, out today. The report and family guide can be found here.

"As a mother of four, I understand the very real concerns parents and caregivers face raising kids in today's digital era," said First Partner Siebel Newsom. "That's why the California Partners Project and I are launching the Tech/Life Balance series—to help families navigate tough modern-day conversations about responsible tech and social media use. Together, we must guide and protect our kids and ensure their safety online."

The bilingual Tech/Life Balance series is designed to support families as they address youth mental health and tech use. At a time when parents continue to struggle, and the U.S. Surgeon General has issued multiple advisories on the dangers of social media, the First Partner and California Partners Project are providing free resources to help families create healthier digital environments for their children.  

Tech/Life Balance is the result of California Partners Project focus groups speaking directly with nearly 100 California parents and caregivers over the past year in order to address the struggles facing families raising kids today at a time when technology addiction and youth mental health are at a boiling point. The report is also informed by interviews with over 65 of the top youth mental health experts from around the world. It is the first of a 4-part series that investigates how technology impacts not only youth mental health but also markers of well-being such as nutrition, exercise, and sleep.

Last month, Governor Newsom signed two critical pieces of legislation that reinforce California's leadership in protecting children from the harmful effects of technology. SB 976, authored by Senator Nancy Skinner, prohibits online platforms from delivering addictive content to minors without parental consent and blocks disruptive notifications during school hours and late at night. At the same time, the AB 3216 Phone-Free Schools Act ensures that students can focus on learning by limiting smartphone use during school hours.

"At the end of the day, whether it's via government, business, or tech - our shared priorities of ensuring the health and safety of our nation's most vulnerable citizens, especially our children, is crucial to the well-being and success of our citizens and democracy. Therefore, it is on all of us to safeguard children from the negative mental health impacts of addictive technologies," said First Partner Siebel Newsom.

Together with initiatives like the Age Appropriate Design Code, these new laws underscore California's commitment to safeguarding kids both at school and at home, creating safer, more mindful digital spaces designed with children's best interests at heart.

Through California for ALL Kids, the First Partner is championing initiatives to support children's mental and physical health, as well as provide families with the tools to build a solid learning foundation. California For All Kids puts children on a path to a healthier future by focusing on their minds, bodies, and environments. The Office of the First Partner and California Partners Project are raising awareness about the importance of the connection between these issues in order to ensure that every California kid has the opportunity to realize their full potential.

About the California Partners Project: Co-founded by California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Olivia Morgan in partnership with the people of California, the California Partners Project is dedicated to championing gender equity across the state and promoting the mental, behavioral, and physical well-being of California's children. For more information about the non-profit organization, visit www.calpartnersproject.org. Connect with the California Partners Project on LinkedIn and Instagram.

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SOURCE California Partners Project