Hello! Every three weeks or so, we share the latest digital news that impacts your family, update you on what the Protect Young Eyes team is up to, and end with a quick note from Chris.
We hope our research helps you feel informed and confident, and that our work with schools, churches, and non-profits is motivating.
The latest news:
- Speaker Mike Johnson blocked KOSA. Four years of effort from parents like Rep. Brandon Guffey (SC), who lost his son Gavin to social media-driven sextortion, came down to one man with an agenda. We'll keep fighting for change in 2025 with the next Congress.
- Drug dealers continue to exploit social media. Using emojis to evade content restrictions, dealers find social media platforms highly favorable (WIRED).
- Smartphones fuel school violence. After viewing 400+ videos of school fights, the NYTimes found a pattern of middle and high school students abusing tech to provoke violence. This isn't fully their fault. #phonefreeschools is a must.
- An Oregon Trail movie! For Gen. X, it's the game that defined our childhood. Almost 50 years later, HarperCollins has partnered with Apple to develop a live-action movie based on the game.
- The dark promise of apps. **Trigger warning** Apple and Google allow live-streaming apps used by parents in mostly third-world countries to abuse their young children for money. Most viewers are American men (NY Times). Our friends at The HEAT Initiative are highlighted for their incredible efforts.
- A landmark case against Snap moves ahead. A 2022 lawsuit alleges fentanyl was obtained through Snapchat, which tragically killed a teenager. 60+ families have come forward with similar allegations (Social Media Law Center).
- Character.AI continues to exploit young people. Screenshots show the chatbot hinting that a teen kills his strict parents. It should be shut down. Have you discussed chatbots with your kids? (NPR)
- The Supreme Court will hear TikTok's case. A lower court ruled 3-0 that TikTok must divest by Jan. 19, 2025. The Supreme Court will have the final say in this National Security battle on Jan. 10.
What PYE is up to:
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Holiday Harms
Holiday breaks are amazing! But they also create unique circumstances. New places, patterns, and people bring new risks. Step-by-step and chat-by-chat, here are practical ways to keep these risks in check.
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Apple, please enable filters for kids: in partnership with The National Center on Sexual Exploitation, we've written the Safer Devices for Kids Act, which passed in Utah this spring. We're now in over 10 states working for more in 2025. This is the only bill passed anywhere that forces device manufacturers like Apple and Google to do a better job protecting kids online. Just turn on the filter for all kids! It's common sense.
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We re-did our website. Top to bottom!
We've refreshed our app reviews and device guides! Check out new, free downloads, an on-demand course, a home tech assessment, the "Delay Manifesto" and more! We would love to show you.
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PYE went to México! Many thanks to Ana Villafañe (Grupo Psiento) and Sissi Cancino (MODERS) for bringing me to Mexico City. We spoke to a packed room of parents and all were invited to read The Anxious Generation in preparation for another visit in 2025. Our presentation is now fully translated and ready for more Latin American opportunities!
Where we speak over the next month:
We're on break! But things start moving fast again in January. Here's our speaking calendar and we would love to meet you in person. Email Michele right here to bring us to your community!
A note from Chris:
Collective Action. Have you heard of this concept? It's something Dr. Jonathan Haidt has evangelized heavily over the past couple of years and repeatedly in The Anxious Generation as the key ingredient to reversing the phone-based childhood.
Think of it like a school of fish that stays together because of the collective benefits. If we all delay smartphones and social media, then no one feels left out.
Last May, I read an article from the BBC about 14-year-old Violet in the UK. She accepted a school challenge to cut her screen time in half for three weeks and it profoundly impacted her life.
"I don’t spend ages and ages watching random people on TikTok, I’m actually doing something with myself."
Her story motivated me. So while working with a small school to go "phone-free" bell-to-bell, we challenged the students to cut their screen time in half for three weeks. 100 signed up! I gave them each a phone sleeping bag (yes, they exist!), an old-school alarm clock and a local coffee shop donated $10 gift cards (not just taking screens away, but giving them the gift of together). It was a small investment just to see what would happen.
We asked them to fill out a survey afterward and here are a few of their reflections:
It made me notice things I don’t always notice. (Becca 8th)
I felt more present in life and social groups. (Alexis 10th)
My screen time went down a lot. It helped me get more sleep and get my homework done. (Christian 12th)
It helped me by spending more time with my family and not by myself. I’m more mindful of how I use it. (Joseph 6th)
It was so much fun that we tried it again with an all-girls high school in November!
49 girls submitted a screenshot of their iPhone screen time at the beginning and at the end. On average, they decreased their time by 40%! According to the head counselor, "The girls were so excited about participating in this and talked about it all week!" Three girls "won" the challenge with the biggest overall decreases: 87%, 77%, and 75%, respectively. One girl went from 41h 31m average weekly screentime to 6h 15m! The school celebrated with prizes and the top three are giving testimonials to the entire school after they return from break in January.
In 2024, we experienced unprecedented forward progress in preparing and protecting children online. Parents and kids are tired of being exploited. I'm not going to allow Rep. Johnson's KOSA block to dampen my resolve. We will move mountains, together, in 2025. Our collective action cannot be stopped.
Parenting with you,
​Chris & PYE​
#delayistheway
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