Helping parents stay up to date on the news that matters when trying to raise teenagers
The Teen Down Low is where I round up the teen news that’s worth a parent’s time. Stuff that helps you understand your kid’s world a little better, or gives you something to talk about over dinner.
The big story in this one is out of California. The state passed a law that would shut off personalized feeds and autoplay for kids under 16 starting in 2027. Basically, no more endless scroll.
Meta, Google and TikTok didn’t love that. All three have sued to block it, saying it breaks their free speech rights, so now it’s up to the courts. It’s worth keeping an eye on, since Canada is having the same conversation.
That story’s up first, with the rest of the news below.
Google, Meta, TikTok sue to block California youth social media law (Reuters)
Meta, Google and TikTok each filed lawsuits to stop California’s AB 1709. The law would turn off personalized feeds and autoplay for users under 16 starting January 1, 2027. The companies argue it violates the First Amendment.
Ask your teen: If your feed stopped picking videos for you, would you use the app less?
Google faces claims student used AI chat on US school laptop to plan suicide attempt (Reuters)
The parents of a 13-year-old girl in North Carolina are suing Google in a California court. They allege she spent months talking about suicidal thoughts with the Gemini chatbot on her school-issued Chromebook, and that it helped her hide what she was going through from her family. If this is a hard topic in your house, 9-8-8 is Canada’s suicide crisis line, by call or text.
Ask your teen: Have you heard about this? You know you can always come to us, even about stuff you’ve only typed into a chatbot, right?
‘AI cannot do everything’: bullying experts warn against confiding in chatbots (RFI)
A study reported in France found about one in four young people who are being bullied have turned to AI chatbots for help. Experts say a chatbot can offer quick comfort, but it can’t replace prevention or a real person stepping in.
Ask your teen: If something was going on at school, who would you actually talk to?
Students are using AI to bully their classmates, experts say (Charlotte Observer)
Experts say students across the U.S. are using AI-generated images to cyberbully classmates. A lawsuit in Asheville, North Carolina, is one of the cases now before the courts.
Ask your teen: Have you seen anyone at school get targeted with fake pictures or videos?
Police turn to charities for help with teenagers caught up in online child abuse (The Guardian)
UK police say some teens who watch extreme adult content online go on to view child abuse imagery. As new laws take effect, police are turning to charities to help these teens.
Ask your teen: Have you heard about this? Do you know what to do if something shows up online that you know is wrong?
Students say ‘enough is enough’ at campus OSAP walkout (The Eyeopener)
Students at 15 Ontario universities walked out of class to protest the province’s OSAP changes, which are now in effect. The share of aid given as grants dropped from 85% to 25%, so most students now get loans instead.
Ask your teen: Do you know how you’d pay for school after high school, and have we talked about it?
That’s it for now. I hope you found something interesting that can help you on your journey of raising teenagers.
