Taskforce Guidance
Helping Kids Thrive Online Health, Safety, & Privacy
Based on information gathered through consultations, comments, and a review of the research summarized in the previous section, the Task Force has developed:
- Best Practices to Support Parents and Caregivers,
- Recommended Practices for Industry, and
- A Research Agenda for Studying Kids’ Online Health, Safety, and Privacy.
While research is needed to fully understand the impact of social media and other online platforms on youth mental health, safety, and privacy, the Task Force has identified concrete interventions that could meaningfully improve young people’s well-being.
Best Practices and Resources for Parents and Caregivers
To support and expand on the work of the Center, the Task Force convened a working group in the Fall of 2023 to gather best practices across the federal government that would assist parents and caregivers in protecting the health, safety, and privacy of their children who use online platforms.
Recommended Practices for Industry
There are many practices that developers of online platforms can implement to help protect youth online and enable them to thrive.
Research Agenda
The Task Force recommends a research agenda that identifies design features and usage patterns that contribute to harms and identifies design features that support youth wellbeing in the dynamic online environment.