GoodforMEdia

In case you missed it, GoodforMEdia youth leaders Riley Hill and Madison Pope joined our Co-Founder, Vicki Harrison, to kick off the 2026–27 School-Based Mental Health ECHO series. Presented by the Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing, the session focused on “Responsible AI Use: Supporting Students.” 🤖📚✏️ During the session, Riley and Madison introduced the GoodforMEdia program, shared their experiences as youth leaders, and reflected on how AI is shaping their lives. They also explored how educators can support students in using AI for socio-emotional support and offered ideas for balancing AI use in school settings. The conversation highlights why young people’s perspectives matter as educators, parents, and policymakers navigate the rapidly evolving role of AI in young people’s lives. ▶️ View the session materials: https://lnkd.in/gVw99yCn (Note: While the recording does not include Riley and Madison’s speaking portion, their contributions are reflected in the session slides, which are available to download.) #GoodforMEdia #ResponsibleAI #YouthVoice #SchoolMentalHealth

📣 Announcing the NEW GoodforMEdia guide: What to Know about Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) We believe the internet should be a place to connect, create, and be yourself, not a place where you have to worry about harassment, deepfakes, doxxing, or someone sharing your content without permission. We teamed up with the DOSE Initiative to create a guide for and by young people on Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV): What it is, who it impacts, and what to do if it happens to you or someone you know. This guide breaks down common forms of TFGBV, shares practical ways to protect your digital space, and offers tips for supporting a friend without blaming or judging them. It also includes resources for reporting harm and getting help. Explore the full guide: https://lnkd.in/gcwv445X We all deserve online spaces where we can learn, connect, and thrive safely. 💻💛 #GoodforMEdia #DOSEInitiative #TFGBV #OnlineSafety #DigitalSafety #YouthVoices

We look forward to kicking off the 2026–27 School-based Mental Health ECHO series with a session on Responsible AI Use: Supporting Students.🤖📚✏️ GoodforMEdia youth leaders Riley Hill and Madison Pope will join our Co-Founder, Vicki Harrison, to discuss how educators can support students in using AI for socio-emotional support, as well as the potential value of peer-delivered approaches. Join us this Thursday, September 17, from 12:00–1:15 p.m. via Zoom. To receive the Zoom link, please follow the registration details below. ⬇️

🌟📱We’re glad to see growing attention on creating healthier digital environments for young people. Our Co-Founder Vicki Harrison, shares her perspective in the San Francisco Chronicle on Meta’s new teen protections and what these changes could mean for youth mental health. The article also features GoodforMEdia Youth Leader Kareem who shares how his relationship with social media has evolved over time and why he sees potential in some of the new protections. Social media can offer connection, community, and support but healthier digital environments require more than asking young people to exercise self-control. They require thoughtful platform design, stronger guardrails, ongoing research, and meaningful youth voices at the table. 👉 Read the full story in the San Francisco Chronicle: https://lnkd.in/g5eys8Sw #YouthMentalHealth #SocialMedia #TeenWellbeing #DigitalWellbeing

🏘️ When was the last time you had a place to just hang out? Somewhere outside of home or school where you could be with friends, relax, and feel like you belonged? For many teens, spaces like these can be hard to find. Cost, transportation, and limited free time can all make it difficult to connect in person—and some young people are turning to AI chatbots to fill that gap. That’s why there’s growing interest in creating more “third places”: affordable, safe, welcoming spaces outside of home and school where young people can connect and belong. After reading the California Partners Project report “Belonging in a Digital Age: Teens, Tech, & Third Places,” Levana, a high school student, reflected on what the findings mean for young people. Drawing from her own experience of feeling more isolated after distance learning, she explores why these spaces matter and what technology can’t replace. 💭 “While technology makes it easier to stay connected, it can’t replace the friendships built through spending time together in person.” Read Levana’s full reflection: https://lnkd.in/g39feZU2 Read the California Partners Project report: https://lnkd.in/gPnXiD7k #GoodforMEdia #YouthVoice #ThirdPlaces #YouthMentalHealth

When does “public” stop meaning “available for anything”? Meta recently rolled back Muse Image, an Instagram feature that allowed users to generate AI images using other people’s public posts. While the tool was framed as a creative feature, it quickly sparked backlash over privacy, consent, and the potential for misuse. During a recent GoodforMEdia Youth Leaders meeting, young people shared immediate concerns: 💬 Public accounts were automatically included, rather than users being given a clear choice to opt in or out. 💬 The feature raised questions about using someone’s images or likeness without their informed consent. 💬 The situation echoed previous concerns around tools like Grok AI, especially when it comes to AI safety, privacy, impersonation, and harmful generated content. The group welcomed Meta’s decision to remove the feature following public feedback. But they also emphasized that removal does not resolve the larger issue: public content may still be collected, analyzed, or used by other AI tools. The discussion raised important questions for all platforms developing generative AI: ❓Is the platform transparent about how its AI is trained and what data it uses? ❓What protections exist against impersonation, misuse, and harmful AI-generated images? ❓Will AI image generation become a standard feature across social media platforms, and will consent be built in from the start? Young people are not just users of these platforms; they are critical voices in shaping what responsible technology should look like. Read the full GoodforMEdia Youth Leaders' discussion and explore resources for navigating AI, privacy, and social media: https://lnkd.in/gGriRBi7 #InTheNews #AIPrivacy #DigitalConsent #YouthLeadership #GoodforMEdia #ResponsibleAI

Our GoodforMEdia Back-to-School Toolkit is now live! 🎒📚✏️ Heading back to school isn’t just about new classes or a new schedule. It’s a reset of your routines, habits, and the way you show up both in person and online. Whether you’re returning to a familiar campus or starting somewhere new, it’s normal to feel a mix of excitement, stress, uncertainty, or all of the above. Our GoodforMEdia Youth Leaders have been there too. That’s why we’ve compiled resources they created to help you navigate the transition, build healthy routines, stay focused, and feel more confident as you settle into the new school year. This toolkit includes resources on:  ✔ Making the transition from summer to school ✔ Reframing the pressure to perform and do it all ✔ Building routines that support your focus and your sleep ✔ Navigating AI, social media, and a changing classroom Created by youth, for youth, these resources are also relevant for the parents, educators, and youth-serving professionals supporting young people throughout the school year. Explore the full toolkit: https://lnkd.in/gD5Vd42n #GoodforMEdia #BackToSchool #YouthMentalHealth

🤖 Have you noticed a lot of AI popping up in your social media feed? AI chatbots are becoming a built-in part of the platforms many young people use, appearing in feeds, search bars, and messages. While these tools have the potential to be helpful, their rapid rollout raises important questions about user choice, transparency, and safety. 💬 As our GoodforMEdia youth leader Jessica puts it, “The underlying assumption seems to be that having AI accessible at all times is something users would naturally welcome, though I’m not convinced that assumption was ever seriously examined with the people who actually use these platforms.” In her blog, “Chatbots Are Already in Your Social Media Feed, and They Didn’t Need Your ‘Like’ to Get There,” Jessica explores why user choice matters and why youth should have a voice in how these technologies are designed. Read Jessica’s blog: https://lnkd.in/den_AcUV

What happens when young people are invited into the AI conversation, not just as users, but as leaders? 🤖💬 GoodforMEdia (GFM) youth leaders recently led workshops at Stanford’s Tech-X Program, a summer experience for high school students exploring mental health and technology innovation. Across two weeks and two cohorts, participants explored how social media and AI are shaping young people’s lives. Through interactive conversations, they used GFM conversation cards to discuss AI, designed platform features that prioritize youth wellbeing, and considered perspectives from the lenses of young people, parents, and educators. We asked: What do teens love about social media? What apps do they use most? What do they wish platforms and policymakers would do differently? And how can technology support wellbeing? Here’s what we heard: 📱 Instagram was the most-loved app among participants; because it helps build connections, encourages creativity, keeps friends in touch, and inspires interests and passions. ⚠️ Snapchat’s features were centered in discussions for many participants. Students shared that streaks can feel obligatory, Snap Map can feel invasive, and unwanted messages from strangers are a concern. 🤖 Students described AI as a tool that can provide fast, easier-to-understand answers, but also one that can increase reliance on media and contribute to personalized feeds containing fake or AI-generated content. Young people want social media platforms to: ✨ Prioritize wellbeing and mental health ✨ Be less addictive by design ✨ Strengthen content moderation and safety ✨ Better address AI-generated harm and gender-based violence They also want policymakers to: 📣 Make youth mental health a priority 📣 Ensure algorithms are appropriate for young users 📣 Include youth and underrepresented voices in technology decisions Participants also named ways technology can support wellbeing: connecting through shared interests and communities, listening to music, journaling, and finding relatable experiences and social support. For many participants, this was the first time they had been asked directly how adults should respond to concerns about AI and social media. Their input reinforces a critical point: young people are already navigating the opportunities and risks of emerging technology every day, and they deserve to be included in the decisions shaping their digital lives. They should be central partners in shaping the policies, products, and educational practices that affect them. At GoodforMEdia, we believe listening to young people is essential to building technology, education, and policies that center creativity, learning, and wellbeing. Swipe through to hear more from the conversation. ➡️ #GoodforMEdia #YouthVoice #DigitalWellbeing #MentalHealthAndTechnology #ResponsibleAI #YouthWellbeing

🌈🤖 The Future of AI and LGBTQ Representation: A Call for Change Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing sectors like healthcare, education, and job markets, but there's a critical gap we can't ignore: the lack of representation for LGBTQ communities, particularly youth. A recent GLAAD report reveals how bias in AI can lead to misinformation, discrimination, and privacy risks for LGBTQ communities. We discussed this report with GoodforMEdia Youth Leaders during our weekly #InTheNews discussions, where we explore emerging news and reports related to the intersection of technology, AI, and youth wellbeing. Here's what came from our conversation: 💬 It’s essential for AI systems to include diverse voices and experiences, ensuring that technology works for everyone, not just a select few. We need companies to invest in better training data, enhanced privacy protections, and to collaborate with LGBTQ experts, including young people, to build inclusive AI systems. 💬 AI biases could create invisible barriers in crucial areas like healthcare, housing, and employment, disproportionately affecting younger generations who are more likely to identify as LGBTQ and use AI daily. As AI evolves, stronger oversight is crucial. We need authentic representation that captures the rich diversity and cultural nuances of LGBTQ experiences. Here’s what to watch for: • Will AI companies step up to improve the diversity and quality of their data? • How can developers authentically portray LGBTQ lives without reinforcing stereotypes? • Will governments and tech firms establish clear standards to ensure fair AI for all? Read more about our conversation: https://lnkd.in/guSAHkAx #GoodforMEdia #LGBTQ #InclusiveAI #RepresentationMatters #FutureOfTech #YouthCenteredDesign #GFMInTheNews