Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on May 20 the release of the teenTALK report, which summarizes a series of roundtable discussions with students about their use of social media and its impact on mental health. The 20-page report includes recommended action steps for Pennsylvanians to improve online environments.
The teenTALK program brought together about 160 students from 35 schools across Pennsylvania in closed-door meetings with Sunday to discuss how technology affects their daily lives. The report presents the main themes raised by students, including both benefits and challenges associated with social media.
Students described how social media can be overwhelming and a source of stress or anxiety. Some shared direct feedback such as, “It always agrees with you, even when you might be wrong,” “Once you watch one thing, it just keeps feeding you more,” and “We know it’s not great — but it’s just too hard to stop. We’re stuck.”
“I commend these student leaders for offering me a seat at the table and sharing insight into very personal experiences and feelings they have about social media,” Attorney General Sunday said. “As an elected official, my duty is to protect Pennsylvanians from rapidly-evolving technology, specifically how A.I. and chatbots are influencing young minds to do and say things they may not otherwise. I will continue my office’s efforts to hold tech companies accountable and work alongside community and government partners to explore ways to rid online spaces of toxic content.”
To address these concerns within his office, Sunday recently established a Technology and Privacy Protection Unit under the Public Protection Division. The teenTALK report outlines recommended actions for various groups: Students are encouraged to value in-person interactions, block harmful content online, and promote positivity; parents are urged to model healthy habits; school leaders should monitor digital safety; government officials are asked to review laws protecting children online; while social media companies are challenged to remove harmful content quickly.
“We are not pointing fingers from the sidelines — on behalf of my office, I intend to be an active participant in finding solutions that promote student wellness,” Sunday said. “teenTALK was a learning endeavor, and we want to do all we can to ensure the students’ efforts and contributions result in positive change.”
