NEW: Had an insightful, generative conversation with @laurahiggins_ of Roblox and Jordan Shapiro of Sesame Workshop on topics including digital self-harm and other complexities of youth behavior online - and discussed actionable takeaways as well. lnkd.in/ewjEvwNT

New from Character.AI: they now have a separate LLM for teens, updated classifiers, input and output blocks on sensitive topics, and more prominent disclaimers notifying users that its AI characters are not real. Parental controls forthcoming. techcrunch.com/2024/12/12/ami…

I have a brand new piece out! "How Platforms Should Build AI Chatbots to Prioritize Youth Safety" - In the light of the Character.AI lawsuits and safety concerns, I discuss seven practical implementations for building AI-driven social chatbots. cyberbullying.org/ai-chatbots-yo…

Check out Sameer’s new post with strategies for addressing concerns centered around AI chatbots.

With Safer Internet Day in six days (Feb 11), we've updated our *Social Media Glossary* so you can stay current on online slang and vernacular. You know what Cap and Rizz and Mid means, but what about Beige Flag? Cuffed? Fein? Roman Empire? Sneaky link? cyberbullying.org/social-media-c…

Updated today for Safer Internet Day 2025 (tomorrow, February 11th)! Check out our detailed index of every social media app we know! Learn how each work, how popular they are, when they were created, age restrictions, and more! cyberbullying.org/most-popular-s…

Happy Safer Internet Day 2025! Today, we release our new report summarizing the research on youth & well-being, discussing legislative efforts, & proposing clear recommendations for regulators & platforms within our SAFEST model for youth online safety. cyberbullying.org/the-safest-mod…

As we continue to make sure our work is youth-centered, I present a brand new installment in our annual series entitled "A Teen's View of Social Media in 2025" - Everyone, meet Elly! cyberbullying.org/teens-view-of-…

IMPORTANT for my educator friends: Launched today is Instagram's new School Partnership Program - enroll your school to receive prioritized reporting and response when your students face cyberbullying or other online issues. Here's my take: cyberbullying.org/instagram-scho…

My brand new piece is out today! I weigh in on the heated discussion involving student phone bans at school, and cover the research on mental health and academic achievement, the implementation, perceptions, my takeaways, a reason to ban and not to ban. cyberbullying.org/student-phones…

I am heavily quoted in this new Forbes India piece, and discuss how the parent-child relationship in the Asian Indian culture (historically) may keep youth from seeking help from those best positioned to support them. forbesindia.com/article/take-o…

Should schools ban student cell phones? It’s a more complicated question than a lot of people take the time to consider. I’ve always argued that we should focus more on behaviors than devices. What are your thoughts?

My brand new piece just dropped! "Year One of a Phone-Free School" - read on for lessons learned from the impacts of a phone ban on students, faculty, and staff in a school in Maryland. Are you considering the same? Let's discuss! cyberbullying.org/phone-free-sch…

Doing work on AI, child rights, and online safety? Here's a CFP for the 2nd International Conference on Children's Rights at Stellenbosch University in South Africa in September 2025. Hope you can participate - should be an incredible event like last year's! Msg for more details.

Some of my thoughts are featured in this incredibly well-written and well-researched new piece in Elle by Katie C Reilly, focused on the aggression, hostility, and threats that female athletes face. Please read it to fully appreciate their experience. elle.com/culture/a64772…

New research alert! We identify a strong link between 18 forms of online aggression and PTSD among US teens. Minor forms of online harm (e.g., exclusion) were as traumatic as major online attacks (e.g., threats). Here's what platforms & schools should do: cyberbullying.org/online-aggress…

Just shared our new research on youth and AI at WABF2025 in beautiful Stavanger, Norway, and discussed what platforms, educators, & parents can do to prevent harms! Also connected with colleagues, and did some bucket-list hiking - my reflections are here: cyberbullying.org/2025-world-ant…

Research from the United States finds that adolescents subject to cyberbullying exhibit higher rates of PTSD symptoms, with all forms of cyberbullying significantly related to trauma: go.sn.pub/g3r1z3 #BMCPublicHealth Sameer Hinduja Justin Patchin

Brand new report just released! A product of our international working group's focus on optimal online safety approaches that support children's rights, agency, and well-being! I share my key takeaways in a new piece here: cyberbullying.org/child-centered… #FrontiersinDigitalChildSafety

Our website just got a major upgrade! Thanks to Brandon, it's now easier than ever to search topics, find free resources, and explore all our programs. Type in what you're looking for—we’ve probably written about it. Take a look! 👇 thewhitehatter.ca #DigitalLiteracy