ConnectSafely’s Safer Internet Day 2026 was not just a one-day event. It was a coordinated national effort that included a youth-centered summit in Sacramento, a grant program supporting schools and youth-serving organizations nationwide, and a free webinar to help parents and caregivers support kids and teens.
Together, these three initiatives reflect a layered strategy: elevate youth voice, inform public policy, equip schools and empower families.
ConnectSafely, part of a global initiative observed in more than 100 countries, serves as the official U.S. coordinator of Safer Internet Day.
Sacramento: A youth-centered policy conversation
On Feb. 10, high school and college students gathered near the California State Capitol with lawmakers, educators, researchers, law enforcement leaders and technology executives. Organized in partnership with Children Now and National PTA, the summit emphasized civil, research-driven dialogue focused on managing technology’s risks while preserving its benefits. Watch videos of the panels and other parts of the program here.
Representatives from Google, Meta, OpenAI, Snap, TikTok, Amazon, Roblox, Apple and Discord participated, but young people remained the focus.
In opening remarks, ConnectSafely CEO Larry Magid emphasized that risk exists in nearly every aspect of life. The goal is not to eliminate risk but to manage it responsibly. Technology, like driving or sports, requires guardrails grounded in research.
Ted Lempert, chair of Children Now and a former California assemblymember, urged policymakers to listen to students’ lived experiences and acknowledged that early optimism about the internet did not fully anticipate its risks. Heather Ippolito, president of California State PTA, said families are seeking practical guidance on social media and artificial intelligence.
Legislating for safer design
In a conversation moderated by Ava Smithing of the Young People’s Alliance, California Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan discussed the challenge of regulating fast-moving technologies. While companies are structured to maximize growth and engagement, she said that the government must establish guardrails to protect young users.
Referring to the social media warning-label law she authored, she said that characterizing social media as a public health issue reflects a broader shift in the national conversation. Digital safety, she argued, should focus on safer design rather than responding only after harm occurs.
“I don’t think putting seat belts in the car takes away your autonomy,” she said. “The safer we make it online, the more autonomy we can give kids.”
Fixing, not rejecting, technology
ConnectSafely Education Director Kerry Gallagher led research roundtables in which participants examined studies across three subject areas, reviewing the findings alongside their lived experience.
Gaming and gambling: Participants discussed research on the blurred line between gaming and gambling, raising concerns about loot boxes and financial risk-taking. Both students and adults at the event called for stronger financial literacy education.
Social media bans: Research reflected skepticism from both youth and parents about sweeping bans. A 2025 Pew study found that 74 percent of teens feel more connected through social media, even as 48 percent say it negatively affects people their age overall. Participants urged stronger in-app protections and clearer default settings.
AI-enabled toys: Participants also examined research showing that many parents have purchased AI-powered toys to support learning but remain concerned about inappropriate behavior, data collection and overdependence, underscoring the need for clear labeling and strong default safeguards.
The message was consistent: young people are not rejecting technology but calling for safer, more thoughtful design.
AI: promise and concern
During a panel moderated by Kerry Gallagher, high school junior and ConnectSafely Youth Advisory Council member Aleeza Siddique described how generative AI is already embedded in academic life. She also raised concerns about misuse.
“I’m a teenage girl and one of my biggest concerns with AI is the way that people can use AI to harm me,” she said, adding that she worries AI may undermine her autonomy.
Industry representatives described safety measures, including safeguards against the sexualization of minors.
Lisa Titus of Meta outlined safety-by-design approaches, pointing to the company’s 13-point framework for generative AI and its focus on “positive, age-appropriate experiences,” supported by safe defaults and parental controls.
Emily Cashman-Kirstein of Google said the company took a cautious approach from the outset. “We asked hard questions before launch. We consulted our in-house child safety and development experts as well as outside specialists to identify potential risks and determine how to address them responsibly,” she said.
Addressing concerns about job displacement, Allison Mishkin of OpenAI noted that technological change has historically reshaped labor markets, often creating new opportunities even as it disrupts existing roles.
Young people in the room, not the tech executives, got the last words, citing environmental impact, job displacement, deepfakes and LLM training practices.
How policy is shaped
A policy panel moderated by Lishaun Francis of Children Now examined how technology policy is formed. Andrea Gil of the Youth Leadership Institute emphasized that young people must be directly involved. “You can’t have a conversation about them without them,” she said.
Alison Merrilees, former chief counsel to the California Assembly Judiciary Committee, encouraged students to use their lived experience to inform lawmakers, noting that key decisions often take shape before public hearings.
Industry representatives, including Kristelle Lavallee of Discord and Wesly Hernandez of Snapchat, agreed that youth participation strengthens policy and product decisions.
From conversation to action
At the conclusion of the summit, participants outlined a shared responsibility framework for strengthening youth digital wellbeing. There was broad agreement that:
- Lawmakers should enact sensible legislation that preserves youth rights while providing greater safeguards.
- Companies must build stronger safety protections directly into their products, with clear privacy protections and transparency.
- While there should be increased safety education for youth and parents, families should not be left to navigate complex systems alone.
A webinar for families
In partnership with National PTA, ConnectSafely presented a free one-hour family webinar, Smart Digital Parenting: Navigating Screens with Children and Teens. The recorded program remains available online for families nationwide.
The webinar was co-facilitated by ConnectSafely Education Director Kerry Gallagher and Mikki Wilson, PTA Connected National Ambassador for National PTA. Together, they translated the summit’s core themes, including balancing opportunity and risk, promoting digital wellbeing and equipping families with practical tools, into a focused, family-centered conversation.
Drawing on research and real-world experience, they addressed how financial scams increasingly target teens, how artificial intelligence can make those scams harder to detect and how algorithms shape what young people see online. They also discussed how to talk with children about extremist content and difficult news in age-appropriate ways, how to navigate in-game chat and social gaming features safely and how parents can respond when images are shared without consent.
Consistent with the spirit of Safer Internet Day, the webinar emphasized informed engagement rather than alarmism. Parents were encouraged to have ongoing conversations, ask open-ended questions and build shared understanding.
Local programs across the country
Through ConnectSafely’s Safer Internet Day grant program, communities nationwide implemented locally tailored initiatives reflecting their own needs and structures. Collectively, these programs reached approximately 70,000 students in 19 communities, using guides, videos and other resources from ConnectSafely.
-In Sayreville, N.J., Safer Internet Day activities spanned multiple schools. Sayreville War Memorial High School invited students and families to an evening program scheduled alongside a basketball game to boost parent participation. Sayreville Middle School integrated programming into library classes and sent resources home. Samsel Upper Elementary School held schoolwide activities during Safer Internet Week and hosted a virtual parent workshop. Harry S. Truman Elementary School incorporated ConnectSafely lessons into media classes and paired them with a PTO presentation offering practical guidance.
-In Brunswick County, N.C., the school district structured its initiative as a districtwide, opt-in program, making resources available across campuses and inviting parents and volunteers to participate.
-In Memphis, Tenn., Shelby County Schools extended shared messaging and programming across a large urban district.
-In Schaumburg, Ill., School District 54 implemented Safer Internet Day as a district-level effort reaching students across numerous schools.
-In Franklin Square, N.Y., H. Frank Carey High School PTSA used its parent-teacher-student association structure to combine student-focused programming with family outreach.
-New Jersey’s Garden State Esports developed a hybrid model that enabled participation both in person and online, connecting schools and families across multiple locations.
-In Atlanta, Ga., Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) convened students, caregivers and community partners to reinforce safe online behaviors beyond the classroom and strengthen adult awareness and supervision.
A layered strategy for digital wellbeing
Taken together, the summit, the grant program and the webinar reflect a coordinated approach. But building a safer internet is not a one-day event. It requires ongoing conversations in classrooms, workplaces and homes, supported by thoughtful legislation and, most importantly, meaningful safeguards built directly into the products and platforms created by technology companies.