GoodforMEdia Learning Hub
Learn the ins & outs of navigating social media today
Check out our stories, insights & strategies to empower healthy relationships with social media.
A Plea to Save a Generation: Struggling to Unplug
In this personal letter, youth advocate Tylee R. reflects on how unrealistic beauty standards and filtered content on social media can affect teens’ self-esteem and mental health. Reflecting on her own experience, she calls on content creators to consider their impact on young audiences and shares practical tips for curating a healthier feed, setting boundaries, and prioritizing wellbeing in a digital world.
What to Know about Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV)
This guide was collaboratively developed by GoodforMEdia (GFM) and DOSE Initiative to help youth better understand Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV). It explores what TFGBV is, why it matters for youth, who is most impacted, and actionable steps to protect yourself and support others. We hope you’ll use this guide as a resource to build safer online habits, start important conversations, and help create a more positive digital world.
In the News: Meta Reaches $18 Billion Settlement Over Teen Social Media
Meta reached an $18 billion settlement with several states over concerns about the impact of its platform on children and teens. While the settlement includes design changes and other commitments, GoodforMEdia Youth Leaders question whether these changes are enough to address the harms that led to the lawsuit. Read their reactions and thoughts on what Meta could do differently to better support young people.
‘This Is Not the End’: Experts Welcome Meta’s New Teen Protections, With Caveats
What could Meta’s new teen protections mean for youth mental health? GoodforMEdia Co-Founder Vicki Harrison and Youth Leader Kareem share their perspectives in the San Francisco Chronicle, exploring the potential and limitations of stronger protections for young people online. Their insights highlight why creating healthier digital spaces requires thoughtful platform design, meaningful guardrails, and youth voices at the table.
A Reflection on Teens, Tech, and Third Places
For many teens, finding a place to simply hang out outside of home or school is hard to come by. That's where third places come in. In this blog, Levana, a high school student, reflects on "Belonging in a Digital Age: Teens, Tech, & Third Places," a California Partners Project research report on social connection, AI usage, and the importance of third places for teens. Drawing from her own experience of feeling isolated, she explores why these spaces matter and what it means to find places where young people can truly belong.
In the News: Meta’s Muse Image Spark
Meta recently rolled back Muse Image, an Instagram feature that allowed users to generate AI images using other people’s public posts. While the tool was framed as a creative feature, it quickly sparked backlash over privacy, consent, and the potential for misuse. During a recent GoodforMEdia Youth Leaders conversation, young people shared immediate concerns. Read more here.
In the News: Building Safer AI For LGBTQ Communities
AI is changing our world, but it often overlooks LGBTQ voices! The new GLAAD report highlights biases in AI that can result in misinformation, discrimination, and privacy issues for the LGBTQ community. n this piece, GoodforMEdia Youth Leaders share the need for companies to prioritize diverse training data and collaborate with LGBTQ experts to create inclusive AI standards that benefit everyone.
GoodforMEdia at Tech-X 2026: A Mental Health + Technology Immersion Experience
GoodforMEdia (GFM) youth leaders led interactive workshops at Stanford's Tech-X Program, a one-week summer program for high school students interested in mental health and technology innovation. Across two weeks, participants explored the impact of technology on young people's mental health and learned practical strategies for building healthier digital habits.
Quit Crowdsourcing Your Inner Life
From “Am I cooked” to “Is this a valid crashout?” social media has become the go-to place for many teens to ask the internet how we should feel. But what if we are skipping an important step: checking in with ourselves first? In this blog, GoodforMEdia youth leader Alvin unpacks why emotional validation should not be crowdsourced and how taking a moment to reflect before posting can help build healthier habits online.
The Feed, the Feed, the Feed / The Name I Had Before
In this diptych poem, GoodforMEdia youth leader Emily explores one day lived on and off social media, moving through the same moments - the morning, the body, the afternoon, the night - and finding two different selves on each side. This captivating piece invites us to pause and sit with the question: what does a single day feel like when you're living it for an audience, and what does it feel like when you're not?
Chatbots Are Already in Your Social Media Feed, and They Didn’t Need Your “Like” to Get There
From Snapchat to TikTok to Instagram, the apps young people use most have quietly added a new feature: an AI chatbot you never opted in to. In this blog, GoodforMEdia youth leader Jessica discusses how these platforms have embedded AI into our feeds, chat lists, and direct messages, often with no option to opt out. Read the blog to better understand what this shift means for young people, and why having a say in the technology shaping our digital lives matters.
The Pressure to Be Seen
Social media has made it easier than ever to compare ourselves to others and harder than ever to feel like enough. In this blog, GoodforMEdia youth leader, Andres, explores the unspoken pressure young people feel to perform academically and be seen online. Explore what it looks like to find motivation that doesn’t depend on anyone’s approval and discover what it means to live without an audience.
The New College Experience–How Generative AI Is Changing What It Means to Be a College Student
Is AI impacting your educational experience? Edward, a second-year college student, reflects on how generative AI is transforming what learning looks like for him. From how his professors are responding, to what it means to produce work that is truly his own, learn how he is finding the balance between embracing the tool and protecting his learning process.
Best and Worst of Tech So Far in 2026
We are three months into 2026, and the pace of tech is moving faster than ever. From new AI tools to evolving social media platforms, technology continues to shape how we connect, learn, and experience the world around us. In this blog, GoodforMEdia Youth Leaders share what they think are the best and worst things about tech so far this year, highlighting the positive impact and challenges that come with it.
Tips for Navigating Group Chats
Group chats help us stay connected with friends, classmates, family members, and communities. But these conversations over text can sometimes lead to misunderstandings or pressure. Developed by GoodforMEdia Youth Leaders, these tips can help you navigate group chats in ways that support respectful communication and your wellbeing.
Scroll-to-Sleep: Why It Happens and How to Break the Habit
Scrolling before bed has become a common nighttime habit for young people. What may start as a quick check of notifications or a few videos can easily turn into an hour of doomscrolling, and before you know it, you’re having trouble falling asleep. Our GoodforMEdia Youth Leaders describe why this happens and offer suggestions for breaking the cycle and creating a better routine that helps you get the Zzzs you need.
In the News: Meta CEO Defends Platform in Lawsuit Over Youth Mental Health
Social media companies are once again facing scrutiny over their impact on young people. In a recent lawsuit accusing Meta and Google of harming youth mental health, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended the company’s approach to platform safety and responsibility. In this piece, GoodforMEDia Youth Leaders share their reactions to the testimony and reflect on what this case could mean for platform accountability and industry standards.
In the News: Live Gambling Apps: Growing Popularity and Concern
A new report from Common Sense Media explores the rise of in-game betting, the pressures it may create for young audiences, and concerns about how gambling content is reaching them. Read on for GoodforMEDia Youth Leaders’ reactions to the findings, what they’re seeing among their peers, and why this trend raises important questions about youth wellbeing and online safety.
“We’re Still Scrolling”: How Social Media Shapes the Mental Health of Youth
From filters and likes to endless scrolling, the platforms we use shape how we see ourselves, what we value, and the choices we make. Drawing from real conversations with young people in India, this blog explores how social media influences identity, mental health, and behavior. Read the blog to better understand what growing up online feels like for young people today, and how we can create a healthier balance with the digital world that prioritizes young people’s well-being.
In the News: Grok AI and Image Abuse: An Online Safety Risk
Regulators in California and the UK are investigating Grok AI, amid inappropriate images being generated without consent. This raises urgent questions about online safety, platform responsibility, and how AI tools are being released without adequate protections. Hear what GoodforMEdia Youth Leaders are saying about why this matters.