Black Lives Matter

Dear TLOers, 

We support the Black Lives Matter movement and the ongoing protests against racism. Our mission has always been to bring communities together to embrace digital wellness AND promote the human experience. Our human experience is collective. If part of our community is suffering, we all suffer. 
Digital and social media have tremendous power to bring us all together, to share the experiences of some, so we can work together to improve experiences for all. But digital media is not without its drawbacks. Here we address ways in which digital media intensifies racism and hate, and suggest solutions. Please share these concerns and talk with your kids about them.

Issue: The Internet connects people with extreme viewpoints, including those of white supremacy, from across the globe. These connections serve to normalize hateful ideas and rhetoric, and often provide a platform to recruit youth into these extreme groups. Social media sites and other digital media applications also serve as platforms for sharing hateful and racist memes in an effort to normalize bigotry.

Suggestion: Talk regularly to your kids about biases, racism and hate on social media sites. Be aware of what they’re seeing so you can offer an adult perspective that condemns these types of posts, behaviors, and recruiting practices. Teach your kids to never share a racist post or something they do not fully understand. Teach them to stand up against racism and to tell an adult immediately if they witness racists comments, on- or offline.

Issue: Many video games and other digital media (including movies, TikTok and YouTube) negatively depict Blacks and other people of color, normalize racism and promote hurtful stereotypes.

Suggestion: Co-choose and co-view programs with kids. Offer an adult perspective as to why stereotypes are dangerous. Choose digital media that exposes kids to the many positive role models in the Black community, including, but not limited to, Ruby Bridges, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Maya Angelou, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, and, my daughter’s favorite ballerina, Misty Copeland. Choose digital media from reliable sources that teaches kids about racism and racial biases, including Just Mercy and Sesame Street “Standing Up to Racism” Town Hall, and from this list of books celebrating Black boys and this list of movies that tackle racism. (For more suggestions, visit Common Sense Media.)

Issue: In general, excessive time online negatively impacts empathy. Our kids need empathy to help them understand the challenges that Black people are facing and why the Black Lives Matter movement is so important. 

Suggestion: Spend time offline talking about empathy and encouraging kids to think about other people’s perspectives and experiences, in this case, Black people’s experiences over many, many years. To gain some perspective, listen to Emmanuel Acho talk about “racism, systemic racism, social injustice, rioting & the hurt African Americans are feeling today.” Find opportunities for children to listen to and participate in conversations about race with people of color. Many schools have Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity committees. Encourage kids to participate on these committees. Widen your social, professional and religious circles to include a diverse group of families. For online resources, check out this list of sites that help kids appreciate differences.

Issue: Studies reveal that Black and Latino youth spend up to 4 hours more time online than white youth. 

Suggestion: In many instances, socioeconomic conditions make managing screen time an enormous challenge for Black and Latino children living in inner cities. We know that youth need a variety of experiences, online and offline, for optimal development and future success. Our commitment is to unite, inform and empower communities around digital wellness. We understand that every community is different and that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work. We do not dictate solutions but work with stakeholders to understand what challenges a community is facing and why, and then brainstorm together community-specific solutions that members can adopt to achieve digital wellness. We are committed to supporting all communities, including Black communities. We will do better in our pursuit to educate ourselves on these challenges and to support communities in finding appropriate solutions that work for them. Digital wellness should be achievable for all children in all communities.

No person should have their rights infringed upon, be treated differently or live in fear because of the color of their skin. Every child in this country should be free to dream the same dreams. Enough is enough. We must educate ourselves about systemic racism, centering the experiences and realities of Blacks in our pursuit of equity. We must report and reject racist stereotypes, posts and memes in digital media. We must unite our communities and stand up to racism. We must all work together for a better future. All of us. Together. 

In solidarity, 
Adrienne and the TLO Team and Board

Additional Resources from Psychologist Rachel Kramer: 

Adrienne Principe