Bullying

• We want to protect them as children and yet launch them into adulthood.
• Adolescents face risks from testing out independence, navigating peer relationships, developing an identity and making mistakes in these processes.
• We are pediatricians who study child online behavior, and we are co-directors of the American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health.

Ideal legislation

• Methods for stopping online child sexual exploitation are not adequate, and elements of proposed legislation could help by limiting who can contact teens outside of their known social circles.
• Another helpful element of child online safety legislation is requiring better access to and control over platform settings.
• It also is incompatible with the adolescent development ideal of exploration – teens are supposed to test things out, push boundaries and change.
• Legislation could also require technology companies to take user-reported problems more seriously.
• Legislation could also focus on limiting the impact of misinformation.

Legislation that would be harmful

• This restrictive approach would limit access to safe places for many young people and exclude teens who are in unsupportive family settings.
• These approaches also put the burden on parents to be gatekeepers for every decision about platform access, which has the potential to increase family conflict.
• Age restrictions may serve to distract from making sure platforms are following guidelines and best practices for all ages.

Limits of legislation

• There are numerous other critical areas of work, including bullying, mental health and parent burnout that need separate consideration.
• But policy alone is not likely to solve all of these complex, intertwined issues that intersect in the digital world.

Moving forward

• The Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health seeks to provide those resources through a Q&A portal, ongoing learning opportunities and resources.
• Many teens report that parents’ social media use distracts from parent-child interaction and that adult social media use negatively affects them.

• Dr. Moreno's research team has received funding from Pivotal Ventures to support a research program.
• She has been paid as an expert witness by the State of California in the matter of Netchoice v. Bonta.
• The views expressed in this article are Radesky's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Michigan.

• The scandal has brought back a debate about whether single-sex schools are fit for purpose and the culture they foster.
• To discuss this and what leads some men and boys to treat women badly and too often violently, we’re joined by Michael Flood, professor at the School of Justice at Queensland University of Technology.
• Flood researches masculinity and gender justice, interpersonal violence and engaging men in violent prevention.
• So, for example, the highest rates of sexual violence offending in Australia are among young men 15 to 19.

• Awards to celebrate the accomplishments of Canada’s youngest young changemakers.
• The awards recognize diverse young leaders driving social impact on issues that matter most to Generation Z, including: mental health, racism and discrimination, climate change, reconciliation, bullying, physical activity and more.
• Sophie Gregoire Trudeau serves as the Honourary Patron for the awards, and Peter MacKay, Counsel at McInnes Cooper and former Parliamentarian, alongside Nazanin Afshin-Jam, human rights activist, are the Honourary Co-Chairs.
• Awards that acknowledge the positive impact that young Canadians make from coast to coast to coast,” says Marci Ien, Minister of Women, Gender Equality and Youth.

• Enrollment is now open at Digital Academy of Florida (DAOF) for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year.
• Prospective students and their families are invited to join the statewide online public school’s dynamic learning community that comes at no cost to families.
• With a full suite of academic and school support services, the academy is dedicated to equipping parents and students with strategies and techniques that help meet potential needs.
• She doesn’t have to worry about other kids, bullying, or being scared to go to school.