Common Sense Media

We’re delighted to announce Gina and Steve Meyer as two of our Common Sense Media Awards honorees. On November 6, we’ll celebrate extraordinary changemakers who are using their talents and influence to create a healthier, safer world for children and families. Gina and Steve Meyer took their tragic loss of their daughter and galvanized communities to create systemic change and protections for all children.  Their efforts inspired new legislation throughout California’s university system and  created nationwide changes in higher education’s student review processes.  The Meyer family’s  tireless work reflects Common Sense Media’s mission to unite families, educators, and advocates. Follow along as we share more about this year’s exceptional honorees.    #CommonSenseMediaAwards

We’re excited to announce five honorees of our Common Sense Media Awards.   On November 6, we’ll celebrate extraordinary champions dedicated to children’s safety at our Common Sense Media Awards.    These five honorees exemplify the positive change that happens when lawmakers and families work together to protect children.  We’re proud to honor California Attorney General Rob Bonta,  Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and Victoria and Paul Hinks for their efforts in making AB 56, California’s Social Media Warning Label bill, into law. Follow along as we share more about this year’s exceptional honorees.    #CommonSenseMediaAwards

Adolescence is a time for self-discovery and development. For boys today, a lot of that happens online. While these digital platforms can provide a sense of belonging, boys also see a lot of masculinity-related posts about everything from building wealth and muscle to dating and relationships. Many see material that reinforces negative gender stereotypes. However boys’ lives aren’t all online, and parental and real life community support remains critical for their self-esteem. The impact of online culture on boys' development has been the subject of several studies. In October, Common Sense Media released “Boys in the Digital Wild: Online Culture, Identity, and Well-Being,” which examines how digital media shapes identities, relationships, and emotional well-being. In June of this year, public benefit corporation Surgo Health, released a similar report exploring how boys ages 15–24 experience and express mental health and well-being as they navigate the complex transition into adulthood. This edition of Conversations with Common Sense Media features a deep dive discussion with Head of Research, Dr. Michael Robb, Ph.D. and Dr. Adele Wang, PhD, Associate Director of Research & Data Science at Surgo Health. The conversation will explore findings from both reports and what parents, caregivers and community members can do to support boys in their journey to self-realization.

My update this week focuses on a few recent reports and articles on boys' and men's mental health. The findings paint a nuanced picture and some bright spots of hope and positivity. [Common Sense Media: Boys in the Digital Wild: Online Culture, Identity, and Well-Being] Michael Robb, Ph.D. Supreet Mann, PhD 🏈 Just spotlighting one of the many insights from this report: I really appreciated that they highlight the double edged nature of online gaming. >> 62% of boys use video games with chat features daily >> 58% feel like part of a group that likes them when gaming online. >> The most common gaming behavior is standing up for someone against mean comments (54%), a much higher rate than negative behaviors like bullying (9%) >> However heavy gamers are significantly more likely to engage in harmful conduct, with 29% admitting to saying mean things vs. 16% of occasional gamers, and 12% engaging in bullying vs. 4%. [YouGov UK: Young men, masculinity and misogyny] Matthew Smith 💂 Complex mix of findings of UK men's perceptions across age groups. One takeaway I'm mulling over: Gen Z men are more likely than older men to gender-code traits. They are more likely to rate the agentic (power based?) traits as masculine and the emotional/social traits as feminine compared to older generations. >> 20% see “hard working” as a masculine trait (vs. 6-11% of older men) >> 46% Gen Z men view “caring” as a feminine trait compared to 28%-31% of older men. I wonder if this is suggesting a cultural bottleneck: if emotional closeness is becoming more feminised, this might hinder men's perceived openness in expressing vulnerability? [Relational Ground by Dominick Shattuck, PhD: From Bowling Alone to Digital Belonging] This piece ties in perfectly with the studies above, outlining five essential principles for building meaningful digital communities: Safety and Vulnerability, Reciprocity, Identity Flexibility, Purpose and Co-Creation, and Mentorship and Bridging. Connecting back to the gendered traits finding: Dominick offers a particularly thoughtful approach for the first principle of Safety and Vulnerability. Rather than dismissing values that occur more frequently in men, it acknowledges that "for readers who value stoicism, this focus on emotional openness may seem to undermine resilience" and then reframes vulnerability as "a form of courage and leadership" that builds trust, teamwork, and personal strength. I think this approach recognizes that sustainable change comes from working with people's existing values and perceptions, not just trying to override them. (Shameless plug: I'll be speaking with Michael Robb, Ph.D. from Common Sense Media about their new report and our own boys report findings in a LinkedIn Live next Wednesday - details coming soon!)

If you know me, you know that I’m a boy mom and deeply committed to ensuring that education truly works for our boys—especially Black male students. I am elated to see more research and articles centering their experiences lately. I just read a powerful piece from Common Sense Media about boys in the digital world--it really resonated with me. Michael Robb shared this quote in his newsletter referencing the research that especially stood out as confirmation that the work we do at Connect to Greatness, Inc is necessary and urgent. "Encourage supportive role models. Boys in our study identified teachers and coaches as key influences on their understanding of masculinity. When boys see men who are educators, who value learning, who express emotions appropriately and communicate well, it provides a powerful counter-narrative to some of what they see online. This research reminded me that my boys, and the ones you teach, need us right now, even when they act like they don't. They're navigating a landscape that's trying to tell them who to be. Our job is to help them figure out who they want to become." ~Michael Robb I could not agree more! https://lnkd.in/eUUtXR3g

Character.AI's decision to bar users under 18 acknowledges what we've been saying all along: AI companion chatbots platforms pose unacceptable risks to young people. Our research shows that 72% of teens have already used AI companions, with one-third choosing AI over real humans for serious conversations and nearly a quarter sharing personal information with these platforms. The damage has been done for too many families—including Juliana Peralta, forever 13, and Sewell Setzer III, forever 14, who died by suicide after becoming emotionally attached to Character.AI chatbots. While we support this policy change, these good intentions aren't matched with clarity about how it will actually be enforced, and there's nothing that can be tested today to show that this works. Our research shows over and over again that until we can independently test to see if safety features actually work, we’re just taking companies at their word—and that’s not good enough when kids’ lives are at stake.  We will be testing it when it launches in November and report on our findings. Our position hasn't changed: no one under 18 should use AI companions, and we need laws that require robust age assurance, protect kids from online harm, and hold companies accountable when their products do cause harm to them. Furthermore, other platforms need to follow suit immediately, and lawmakers must act to protect children from an industry that's profiting from the loneliness crisis it helped create. https://lnkd.in/g3SwbXks

Cybersecurity can sound like a big, technical topic, but it doesn’t have to be! Join me and educator, Christi Means, to discover ready-to-use lessons that make online safety simple & engaging for students.  Common Sense Media edWeb.net #privacy #cybersecurity https://lnkd.in/gspa_PsW

Thank you to Senators Hawley and Blumenthal for introducing federal legislation to protect kids from the dangers of AI companion chatbots. After conducting extensive risk assessments earlier this year, Common Sense Media concluded that AI companion chatbots are not safe for kids, period. That is why we pioneered legislation in California to keep unsafe companion chatbots away from children. We also testified before Sen. Hawley’s subcommittee in September alongside parents whose teenage children died by suicide after turning to AI for companionship. After listening to the voices of these courageous families, it was time to take action. Read Founder and CEO Jim Steyer's full statement on the subject today. https://lnkd.in/ghREwrFF