SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On the heels of California and a dozen other states suing TikTok earlier this week over teen safety concerns, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom invited parents and leaders from the tech industry to work together on coming up with solutions to keep kids safe.

Siebel Newsom hosted a roundtable discussion with representatives from Meta, Pinterest, Tik Tok, as well as doctors and researchers.

The group got to hear from parents who shared their concerns about the impact social media has on their kids’ health.

“We have a really shared understanding of what the problems are but this is where tech companies, researchers, parents and government can come together to be very collaborative about thinking what are the right remedies,” said Alicia Blum-Ross, Global Head of Youth Safety by Design for TikTok.

The event was also an opportunity for Siebel Newsom to unveil a new bilingual resource that her nonprofit, the California Partners Project, launched to help parents navigate some challenges of raising their kids in a digital era.

“The guide is a resource to parents. We want to meet parents where they’re at and give them tools and best practices while we regulate and implement policy changes to ensure that technology is for good,” said Siebel Newsom.

The mother of four couldn’t comment on the lawsuit that California filed against TikTok, but she acknowledged the need for more regulations on the tech industry in order to protect kids from things like cyberbullying, mental health issues, and the propagation of unrealistic beauty standards.

“Any attempts to require transparency and accountability are necessary when you have a sector and an industry that’s been unregulated for so long and that is leading to a public health crisis,” the First Partner noted.

Siebel Newsom said she understands the difficulty parents face when trying to manage what their kids are exposed to when they’re online.   

“There’s so much good that technology can afford us in California, but it has to take into account the dark side and the damages and the harm that our children are being exposed to,” she added.

The First Partner said she’s optimistic that events like the one she held will encourage social media platforms to step up their efforts to keep kids safe from harmful content.

“I’m hopeful that there are enough good eggs in leadership in tech and new blood coming into tech companies that are willing and committed to righting these wrongs and doing their part to move us in a healthier direction quicker,” she added. 

As a mother of two, Esperanza Rosas says she wants to be the best example for her kids, which is why she’s been trying to spend less time on her phone and more time being present with her children. 

“I had to acknowledge that I was having a problem, I’m having a problem scrolling or I’m having a problem being on my phone or my computer too long,” Rosas shared.

While Rosas believes it’s mainly a parent’s responsibility to make sure their children aren’t spending too much time online, she also welcomes more regulations on the industry.

“I think it’s more on us than it is on tech, but maybe tech can build a bridge where they can notice that a child is spending too much time, and they can put an instant lock if they’re spending too many hours on a platform,” Rosas said.

Rosas said she was grateful to be a part of a robust conversation and to learn about the new tool available for parents.

“I think it’s good to have this resource because if I have this resource, I’m not trying to figure it out by myself. I have something that I can look at to help me with that.”