Attention, all parents: here’s why your kids won’t put down their phone

Time to Act: ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ You're getting this message because you’ve supported good causes and Democratic candidates. We need your support to continue fighting for our democracy. We love having you in our network, but if you no longer wish to hear from us, you can [unsubscribe here](. For years, platforms like Meta’s Instagram have knowingly sucked kids into addictive and compulsive social media use — prioritizing profits over the well-documented, real-world harms their products have created for kids. Finally, a massive group of state attorney generals is suing to correct this problem – but they’re already facing well-funded pressure from Big Tech to drop the lawsuit. [Co-sign a letter of support to these courageous state attorneys general to tell them – we’ve got your back!]( {NAME}, If you’ve recently spent any time around teenagers, it’s clear that we have a widespread addiction problem on our hands. Kids are hooked on social media – and sometimes, it can have devastating consequences. Researchers have been looking at this problem for years, of course, and found convincing evidence that heavy social media use tends to make teenagers – especially girls – feel worse about their bodies and creates anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. But what’s even more shocking is that Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) has known about this problem for years, according to documents leaked by an internal whistleblower in 2021 [1] – and they’ve apparently chosen to do virtually nothing about it since then. Finally, officials are stepping up to take action: a group of 41 states and Washington, DC are now suing Meta to hold the company accountable for the youth mental health crisis caused by the addictive nature of Facebook and Instagram’s platforms. [2] Here at Accountable Tech, we couldn’t agree more. [That’s why we’re asking you today to co-sign our letter of support to these attorneys general to let them know we approve of – and appreciate – their bold action.]( [SIGN THE LETTER OF SUPPORT]( Accountable Tech sounded the alarm on this issue for years. We launched [Stop Instagram for Kids](, shining a light on the platform’s relentless focus on appearance, self-presentation, and branding, which presents challenges to adolescents’ privacy and wellbeing. But thanks to grassroots support, we convinced Meta to stop developing a version of Instagram for children under the age of 13. {NAME} – we can take on Big Tech and win. We’ve done it before and now we need to support these attorneys general. Big Tech has massive lobbying power and cash to throw around. Meanwhile, kids struggle with deliberate design choices made by Big Tech that keep them addicted to social media and online platforms. [Add your name to our letter of support to these attorneys general to let them know we approve of their bold action.]( [SIGN ON]( Without accountability, Big Tech will continue to profit from kids' declining mental health. Let's ensure our children's future isn't compromised by the addictive grips of social media. Thanks for being with us, Nicole Gill Co-founder and Executive Director Accountable Tech [1] The Verge: [( [2] Reuters: [( Cliff Schecter President, Blue Amp Action Amplify Good Follow Us Blue Amp Strategies 1776 Mentor Ave. #411 | Norwood, Ohio 45212 513.438.0171 | info@blueampaction.com Having trouble viewing this email? [View it in your web browser]( About BlueAmp Action: We cannot sugarcoat the current situation. Right-wing authoritarianism, defeated by a worldwide coalition during WWII, was only in hibernation. Over the past decade it has infected democratic societies--including ours. It is as simple as it is terrifying: What we do now will define the future of our country and world. We at Blue Amp Action are dedicated to liberal, open societies, where reason and science are applied to solve our problems; where civil rights--including voting rights!--are protected for all. We fight for these values every day. Speaking up on our platforms, raising the voices and the political prospects of liberal pols and pundits. And savvy grassroots activists like you know, just like we do, that we can’t stop watching the people we help elect: after the elections, we have to keep organizing support for the policies we like and pushing back against the ones we don’t. When the public tunes out between elections and the only people our elected officials hear from are the paid lobbyists of wealthy corporations, our government stops being accountable to the needs of ordinary families. Democracy never sleeps, and neither can we. So we ask that you support our work, so we can continue to engage in this fight every moment of every day. So our kids grow up in democracy, not dystopia. Thank you for your support for all we do! Please follow Cliff Schecter on Twitter @cliffschecter, or subscribe to The Takedown with Cliff Schecter on YouTube, to keep up to date with this battle for the heart and soul of our country. — You're getting this message because you’ve supported good causes and Democratic candidates. We need your support to continue fighting for our democracy. We love having you in our network, but if you no longer wish to hear from us, you can [unsubscribe here](. [Unsubscribe]( or [Manage Your Preferences](