Stephen Balkam
@stephen.bsky.social
Founder & CEO, Family Online Safety Institute
What does ‘being best’ mean to Melania Trump now?
May 13, 2025 at 12:15 AM
What does ‘being best’ mean to Melania Trump now?
Reposted by Stephen Balkam
During his testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, FOSI CEO @stephen.bsky.social outlined a vision for online safety that balances protection with empowerment. 🌐
Read his full written testimony here ➡️: www.fosi.org/policy-resea...
Read his full written testimony here ➡️: www.fosi.org/policy-resea...
FOSI | Stephen Balkam Testifies Before U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Children's Online Safety
www.fosi.org
February 19, 2025 at 6:13 PM
During his testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, FOSI CEO @stephen.bsky.social outlined a vision for online safety that balances protection with empowerment. 🌐
Read his full written testimony here ➡️: www.fosi.org/policy-resea...
Read his full written testimony here ➡️: www.fosi.org/policy-resea...
Reposted by Stephen Balkam
🌍 It’s Safer Internet Day!
FOSI CEO @stephen.bsky.social shares a new take on teen digital wellbeing—one that empowers, not restricts youth online. Instead of bans, we need thoughtful solutions that balance safety & opportunity online. ✅
📖 Read his full piece below:
www.fosi.org/good-digital...
FOSI CEO @stephen.bsky.social shares a new take on teen digital wellbeing—one that empowers, not restricts youth online. Instead of bans, we need thoughtful solutions that balance safety & opportunity online. ✅
📖 Read his full piece below:
www.fosi.org/good-digital...
FOSI | Safer Internet Day: The Need for a Balanced Approach to Teen Digital Wellbeing
www.fosi.org
February 11, 2025 at 2:26 PM
🌍 It’s Safer Internet Day!
FOSI CEO @stephen.bsky.social shares a new take on teen digital wellbeing—one that empowers, not restricts youth online. Instead of bans, we need thoughtful solutions that balance safety & opportunity online. ✅
📖 Read his full piece below:
www.fosi.org/good-digital...
FOSI CEO @stephen.bsky.social shares a new take on teen digital wellbeing—one that empowers, not restricts youth online. Instead of bans, we need thoughtful solutions that balance safety & opportunity online. ✅
📖 Read his full piece below:
www.fosi.org/good-digital...
Reposted by Stephen Balkam
Our State Policy Lead, Marissa Edmund, was featured in a Fox 5 segment discussing the Maryland Kids Code which went into effect in October. ✍️
With the law facing legal challenges, there is uncertainty around its future. 🗣️
Watch the full segment below to learn more ➡️ www.fox5dc.com/video/1588008
With the law facing legal challenges, there is uncertainty around its future. 🗣️
Watch the full segment below to learn more ➡️ www.fox5dc.com/video/1588008
Big tech sues Maryland over kids online safety law
Big tech companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon are going after Maryland's newest online child safety law.
www.fox5dc.com
February 5, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Our State Policy Lead, Marissa Edmund, was featured in a Fox 5 segment discussing the Maryland Kids Code which went into effect in October. ✍️
With the law facing legal challenges, there is uncertainty around its future. 🗣️
Watch the full segment below to learn more ➡️ www.fox5dc.com/video/1588008
With the law facing legal challenges, there is uncertainty around its future. 🗣️
Watch the full segment below to learn more ➡️ www.fox5dc.com/video/1588008
Hugely helpful insights and findings from @shuhbillskee.bsky.social & others on the vexed question of "screen time"
All in the mind? The surprising truth about brain rot
Is screen use really sapping our ability to focus and lowering our IQs? The scientists who have actually analysed the data give their verdict
www.theguardian.com
January 31, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Hugely helpful insights and findings from @shuhbillskee.bsky.social & others on the vexed question of "screen time"
Reposted by Stephen Balkam
“An overwhelming majority of teens – 94% – say schools should be required to teach media literacy. And students with some form of media literacy lessons are more likely to fact-check before posting to social media, push back against misinformation when they see it and seek out reliable news.”
"We need an Olympic-size commitment to teaching media literacy in our classrooms across America." - Philanthropist & NLP board member Melanie Lundquist
Melanie's op-ed in @usatoday.com ⤵️
➕ National #NewsLiteracyWeek starts Feb. 3: newsliteracyweek.org
www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
Melanie's op-ed in @usatoday.com ⤵️
➕ National #NewsLiteracyWeek starts Feb. 3: newsliteracyweek.org
www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
Media literacy is having a moment. We can't lose momentum. | Opinion
Adults under 30 are nearly as likely to trust information from social media as from national news outlets, according to the Pew Research Center.
www.usatoday.com
January 27, 2025 at 9:36 PM
“An overwhelming majority of teens – 94% – say schools should be required to teach media literacy. And students with some form of media literacy lessons are more likely to fact-check before posting to social media, push back against misinformation when they see it and seek out reliable news.”
I asked the same question of DeepSeek and ChatGPT
January 28, 2025 at 2:43 PM
I asked the same question of DeepSeek and ChatGPT
Some thoughts on Meta’s awful announcement
FOSI | Meta’s Moderation Maneuver
www.fosi.org
January 9, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Some thoughts on Meta’s awful announcement
Reposted by Stephen Balkam
My @connectsafely.bsky.social Report for CBS News Radio about @famonlinesafety.bsky.social research on digital wellbeing @stephen.bsky.social
tinyurl.com/msdn827a or where you get your podcasts
tinyurl.com/msdn827a or where you get your podcasts
FOSI research shows surprising attitudes toward online concerns
A new survey has some surprising results on teen and parent attitudes towards online concerns.
tinyurl.com
December 13, 2024 at 4:49 PM
My @connectsafely.bsky.social Report for CBS News Radio about @famonlinesafety.bsky.social research on digital wellbeing @stephen.bsky.social
tinyurl.com/msdn827a or where you get your podcasts
tinyurl.com/msdn827a or where you get your podcasts
Julie Inman-Grant, Gill Whitehead and Benoit Loutrel discuss the complexities of regulating online safety around the world.
FOSI 2024 Global Online Safety Regulators Network: A Two Year Review
YouTube video by Family Online Safety Institute
www.youtube.com
December 12, 2024 at 6:31 PM
Julie Inman-Grant, Gill Whitehead and Benoit Loutrel discuss the complexities of regulating online safety around the world.
I highly recommend this conversation between Michael Sayman & Andrew Keen about bots, SocialAI and the "post-Cartesian age where we don't really know who we are."
Episode 2269: Michael Sayman looks forward to an AI age in which all our online interactions are with bots
SocialAI: Social Networking in a Time of the Ubiquitous Smart Machine
keenon.substack.com
December 12, 2024 at 6:26 PM
I highly recommend this conversation between Michael Sayman & Andrew Keen about bots, SocialAI and the "post-Cartesian age where we don't really know who we are."
A must read for parents and politicians alike.
Thank you @natureportfolio.bsky.social for making my review of the Anxious Generation open access for parents, policy-makers, and the public. The story told in this book runs counter science and is leading to poor policy decisions that will ultimately fail our kids. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
The great rewiring: is social media really behind an epidemic of teenage mental illness?
The evidence is equivocal on whether screen time is to blame for rising levels of teen depression and anxiety — and rising hysteria could distract us from tackling the real causes.
www.nature.com
December 11, 2024 at 3:16 AM
A must read for parents and politicians alike.
Really good review of our research report on teen's digital wellbeing which was released yesterday at #fosi2024
Teens: Online Time Improves Our Well-Being, Though We Could Use More Sleep
When it comes to time spent online, teens tell the Family Online Safety Institute that the good outweighs the bad. Top concerns include losing sleep, scams, and notification overload.
www.pcmag.com
December 10, 2024 at 10:53 PM
Really good review of our research report on teen's digital wellbeing which was released yesterday at #fosi2024
Reposted by Stephen Balkam
🌟 That’s a wrap on the #FOSI2024 Annual Conference!
Thank you to everyone who attended, spoke, and contributed to making this year’s event a resounding success.
Here’s to continued collaboration, innovation, and progress in online safety as we move “From Protection to Empowerment.” ✅ ✍️
Thank you to everyone who attended, spoke, and contributed to making this year’s event a resounding success.
Here’s to continued collaboration, innovation, and progress in online safety as we move “From Protection to Empowerment.” ✅ ✍️
December 10, 2024 at 3:23 PM
🌟 That’s a wrap on the #FOSI2024 Annual Conference!
Thank you to everyone who attended, spoke, and contributed to making this year’s event a resounding success.
Here’s to continued collaboration, innovation, and progress in online safety as we move “From Protection to Empowerment.” ✅ ✍️
Thank you to everyone who attended, spoke, and contributed to making this year’s event a resounding success.
Here’s to continued collaboration, innovation, and progress in online safety as we move “From Protection to Empowerment.” ✅ ✍️
Here are my remarks from earlier in the day at #fosi2024
FOSI | Stephen Balkam’s Opening Remarks - FOSI 2024 Annual Conference
www.fosi.org
December 9, 2024 at 6:49 PM
Here are my remarks from earlier in the day at #fosi2024
Reposted by Stephen Balkam
Good morning from the @famonlinesafety.bsky.social conference in D.C. (CEO @stephen.bsky.social just announced that they're on Bluesky but didn't share the handle; I hope this is the right one.) Looking at the options among the four breakout tracks, which panels look more interesting to you?
FOSI | FOSI 2024 Annual Conference
Save the date for the FOSI 2024 Annual Conference: From Protection to Empowerment! Join us in Washington, DC on Monday, December 9th, at the InterContinental on the Wharf. This is the premier online s...
www.fosi.org
December 9, 2024 at 3:27 PM
Good morning from the @famonlinesafety.bsky.social conference in D.C. (CEO @stephen.bsky.social just announced that they're on Bluesky but didn't share the handle; I hope this is the right one.) Looking at the options among the four breakout tracks, which panels look more interesting to you?
Reposted by Stephen Balkam
A really moving and powerful introduction by Secretary Mayorkas, and great opening words by @stephen.bsky.social on the importance of protecting children ON the internet not FROM the internet…
We were honored to have Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas kick off the #FOSI2024 Annual Conference! 🌐
Thank you for launching us into a day filled with important conversations and shared commitments. ✅
Tune into our livestream now!
youtube.com/live/KTjAvwi...
Thank you for launching us into a day filled with important conversations and shared commitments. ✅
Tune into our livestream now!
youtube.com/live/KTjAvwi...
December 9, 2024 at 3:31 PM
A really moving and powerful introduction by Secretary Mayorkas, and great opening words by @stephen.bsky.social on the importance of protecting children ON the internet not FROM the internet…
Just released! Follow along at #fosi2024 as we unveil it today
FOSI | Promoting Wellbeing in a Digital World
www.fosi.org
December 9, 2024 at 1:22 PM
Just released! Follow along at #fosi2024 as we unveil it today
Reposted by Stephen Balkam
We’re here! 🎉 The Family Online Safety Institute has officially joined Bluesky! 🌐
We’re excited to connect, share insights, and collaborate on all things online safety. Follow us for updates, tips, and the latest news. 💻✨ #OnlineSafety #FOSI #Bluesky
We’re excited to connect, share insights, and collaborate on all things online safety. Follow us for updates, tips, and the latest news. 💻✨ #OnlineSafety #FOSI #Bluesky
December 6, 2024 at 6:14 PM
We’re here! 🎉 The Family Online Safety Institute has officially joined Bluesky! 🌐
We’re excited to connect, share insights, and collaborate on all things online safety. Follow us for updates, tips, and the latest news. 💻✨ #OnlineSafety #FOSI #Bluesky
We’re excited to connect, share insights, and collaborate on all things online safety. Follow us for updates, tips, and the latest news. 💻✨ #OnlineSafety #FOSI #Bluesky
Reposted by Stephen Balkam
📣 Big News for the #FOSI2024 Annual Conference!
We’re excited to welcome Hon. Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, as this year’s keynote speaker. 🌟
Don't miss this important discussion, register for our livestream now! ⬇️
www.eventbrite.com/e/fosi-2024-...
We’re excited to welcome Hon. Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, as this year’s keynote speaker. 🌟
Don't miss this important discussion, register for our livestream now! ⬇️
www.eventbrite.com/e/fosi-2024-...
December 6, 2024 at 6:17 PM
📣 Big News for the #FOSI2024 Annual Conference!
We’re excited to welcome Hon. Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, as this year’s keynote speaker. 🌟
Don't miss this important discussion, register for our livestream now! ⬇️
www.eventbrite.com/e/fosi-2024-...
We’re excited to welcome Hon. Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, as this year’s keynote speaker. 🌟
Don't miss this important discussion, register for our livestream now! ⬇️
www.eventbrite.com/e/fosi-2024-...
Well worth a read
Australia's ban on social media for teens under 16 is, among other things, an enormous gift to YouTube www.platformer.news/australia-so...
December 3, 2024 at 4:20 AM
Well worth a read
Hugely important backstory to the Australia social media ban.
Australian social media ban started with call to act by politician's wife
Since Meta whistleblower Frances Haugen aired internal emails in 2021 showing the tech giant knew of social media's mental health impacts on teenagers, world leaders have agonised over how to curb the technology's addictive pull on young minds.
www.reuters.com
December 2, 2024 at 8:17 PM
Hugely important backstory to the Australia social media ban.
Excellent piece on Australia’s new law: With its social media ban, parliament delivers a performance piece of legislative enshittification that rises to the cultural moment
November 29, 2024 at 9:17 PM
Excellent piece on Australia’s new law: With its social media ban, parliament delivers a performance piece of legislative enshittification that rises to the cultural moment