Child Wellbeing in the Digital Age

Darla Silva, Chief Program Officer at UNICEF USA; Leah Defenbaugh, Director of Youth Development Projects; Heldana Thomas, National Youth Council Leader; and Xavier Juarez, UNICEF USA National Youth Council Leader, discussed youth development strategies at the Common Sense Summit on Kids and Families 2026 in San Francisco.

The Commonsense Summit on Kids and Families 2026, was billed as “bringing together the leaders who shape how the next generation learns, lives, and thrives.” The summit, put on by Common Sense Media, covered themes such as protecting young people online, the state of kids’ health in America, and comparing big tech to big tobacco. Here are three key takeaways gathered from panels, discussions, and presentations that speak directly to the concerns of youth workers in Minneapolis today. In attendance for Child Wellbeing, Leah Defenbaugh, Director of Youth Development Projects and Leopoldino Jeronimo, Strategic Planning Specialist, Youth Coordinating Board (YCB) staff.

We must invest in children’s wellbeing

Panelists across the two-day conference highlighted areas where the United States fell short in funding research-backed, child-first policies, including: 

• Former Secretary Hillary Clinton, who emphasized five key areas to focus on, including making it more affordable to raise kids, supporting paid family leave, and ensuring high-quality physical and mental care. She also stressed the critical need to regulate harmful algorithms and hold tech companies accountable.  

• Luke Shaefer, who shared that around two thirds of Americans have experienced at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACES), which has a dose-response relationship with adverse health outcomes. Programs like the expanded child tax credit and the RX Kids program in Michigan were championed as essential infrastructure. These programs provide cash support that stabilizes families and plummets child poverty. 

• John White, who discussed states like Louisiana and Mississippi that are achieving educational success through clear measurements and accountability. In New York, deep government investment and high standards successfully launched the country’s largest full-day free universal pre-kindergarten system. In his talk, White emphasized that education is a social justice and civil rights issue. 

Technology affects youth wellbeing

A major focus of the conference was the intersection of technology, data governance, and youth safety. These issues  

• Big Tech vs. Tobacco: Dylan Byers from Puck moderated a panel with Attorney General Rob Bonta of California and Attorney General Raul Torres of New Mexico. Attorney General Bonta drew direct parallels between the two industries, highlighting that social media platforms possess internal documents revealing their awareness of harms to children from features like infinite scroll and beauty filters. Attorney General Torres expanded on this by detailing his state’s action focusing on the addictive nature of the products, a lack of clear warning labels, and predatory behavior. He noted that undercover accounts revealed solicitations for graphic material, underscoring that current business models prioritize engagement over safety. 

• Safety by Design: Baroness Kidron advocated for privacy as a default, stating that companies must stop surveying children and taking their data. The Age-Appropriate Design Code (AADC) was discussed as a successful model that moves the burden of privacy from users to the companies. Adding to this, Bill Ready, CEO of Pinterest, emphasized that tech companies can compete on safety records, sharing that his platform successfully turned off all social features for users under 16 to create safer, private spaces. 

• Legislative Action: Assembly member Rebecca Bauer Cahan discussed her work on SB976, which makes addictive algorithms illegal in California. Sam Chapman shared his tragic personal story to advocate for Sammy’s Law, which requires social media platforms to allow third-party safety software. Industry leaders, including Tim Levy of Courier and Kristen Lewis of Aura, also stressed the necessity of collaborative approaches that empower parents and provide tools for kids to self-regulate. 

  
  

Young people must be at the table for decisions made about them 

The Youth Coordinating Board works to ensure that youth voice is part of decision-making at every level. Leah Defenbaugh, Youth Development Project Director, sat down with two UNICEF USA National Youth Council members, Xavier and Hildana, to discuss child-centered governance in a panel moderated by UNICEF USA Chief Program Officer Darla Silva.  

The panel highlighted the importance of Child-Centered Governance, and how this focus leads to better outcomes for youth and families. It focused on five interconnected strategies, which UNICEF USA encourages municipalities to use together to best center children and young people. They are: 

• Youth Councils, 

• Child Impact Statements, 

• Youth Ombuds Offices, 

• Child-Friendly Budgeting, and 

• Children’s Cabinets. 

  
  

Though these strategies are intended for government use, nonprofits and businesses looking to work with youth can also use them. You can read the full policy brief here.