The last year has seen a global reckoning with the effects of social media on kids. Australia banned children younger than 16 from using social media platform. Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation became one of the most purchased books of 2024. And former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for these platforms to create warning labels akin to those on tobacco products.
Despite wide acceptance that social media can contribute negatively to children’s social and emotional well-being, families, schools, and governments have no interest in pretending these platforms will eventually fade into obsoletion. Instead, many of these entities are interested in reevaluating and placing guardrails around how children engage with online platforms.
At the Fast Company Grill at SXSW earlier this month, executives from Life360, Yondr, and Yoto—all tech companies that emphasize finding balance between the online and offline world—addressed the nuances of when and how children should engage with social media.
Tom Ballhatchet, vice president of creative, UX, and innovation at Yoto, is adamant that his business is not anti-tech. The company’s signature product, the Yoto Player, is an audio-forward device that users can insert physical cards into to listen to stories, podcasts, music, and more. Other than a tiny display which might show illustrations or cartoon figures, the gadget is completely analog, allowing children to engage with content without the distraction of a screen.
“We’re trying to put kids in control of their listening and learning and education,” Ballhatchet said. “Parents often tell us that because their kids are in control, that actually gives them a bit of independence back.”
Lauren Antonoff, the chief operating officer of Life360, a platform that allows families to keep track of one another’s whereabouts, echoed the idea that technology can be used to facilitate independence.
“Life360 isn’t designed to be used actively on your phone,” Antonoff said. “It’s designed so that you can put your phone in your pocket and go out and play ball, or go to the store, and your parents can keep an eye on you.”
Jennifer Betka, the chief marketing officer of Yondr, a company that makes pouches used to store phones for schools and event venues, wants children to learn about the digital world and what it looks like to practice safe behavior, while preventing overexposure and addiction to these platforms at a young age.
“The next generation should really be able to live life untethered and strike a healthy balance between their screens and the world around them,” she said.
Watch the full panel below:
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