FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Oct. 10, 2024
Ashwin Verghese
717 676 8584
[email protected]
MEDIA ADVISORY
New toolkit can help protect kids from online harms
BOSTON, MASS. — On World Mental Health Day, the Screen Time Action Network at Fairplay is proud to release a new action kit to help parents and professionals protect kids from online harms.
The Online Harms Prevention Action Kit is available to download now.
“Let’s honor World Mental Health Day by ensuring that all families and professionals have the critical information they need to protect the next generation from online harms,” said Jean Rogers, Director of the Screen Time Action Network. “Parents are perplexed and stressed about this topic. We encourage everyone to share this action kit with friends, schools, pediatricians, mental health providers — anyone interested in helping to fight back and safeguard our kids from the harms of the online world!”
Online harms
The action kit provides information and advice on dealing with six topics:
- cyberbullying
- harmful challenges
- illegal drug sales
- online gaming addiction
- sexual exploitation
- screen overuse
Each of these harms can lead to depression, anxiety, self-harm and even suicide among young people.
The action kit arrives at a time when roughly 46% of teens say they are online almost constantly — meaning they are exposed to online harms around the clock.
This near-constant use isn’t an accident. Social media companies and online platforms have engineered their products to be habit-forming. They rely on children’s screen addiction to drive their massive profits.
Protecting kids
The Action Kit, authored by the Action Network’s Online Harms Prevention Work Group, provides statistics and information about each of the six harms listed above.
It also offers action steps that parents, teachers and medical professionals can take to help keep kids safe from these harms.
Download and share the Online Harms Prevention Action Kit today!
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Fairplay is the leading nonprofit organization committed to helping children thrive in an increasingly commercialized, screen-obsessed culture, and the only organization dedicated to ending marketing to children. Fairplay works to enhance children’s wellbeing by eliminating the exploitative and harmful business practices of marketers and Big Tech. Learn more at https://fairplayforkids.org/.