Survivor Parents Commend the National PTA’s Decision to End Meta Partnership
The PTA Connected program has received funding support from Meta since 2017
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — ParentsSOS, a coalition of 20 survivor families who have lost children to online harms, and Smartphone Free Childhood US, commended the National PTA’s decision to end its years-long partnership with Meta. Since 2017, the National PTA has received funding from the social media giant to support its PTA Connected program. Last spring, both groups urged the National PTA to end its Meta and other Big Tech partnerships.
Sharon Winkler, mother of Alex Peiser, forever 17, and founding member of ParentsSOS, and Kim Whitman, Co-Lead of Smartphone Free Childhood US, issued the following statement on behalf of the coalition:
“We applaud the decision by the National PTA to end its relationship with Meta. As the ongoing trial in California underscores, Meta has deliberately tried to addict children to its social media products and harmed countless children in pursuit of profit and market share. Meta is not a company that deserves the halo of esteemed organizations, and we are glad that the National PTA has stopped promoting Instagram to families. We appreciate that the National PTA listened to our concerns and made this important change.
“We urge the National PTA to end its other Big Tech partnerships, including Discord, Google, and TikTok. Social media in its current form is simply not safe for children, and organizations whose mission is to promote children’s well-being should not lend their good names to these companies that are harming children every day at scale.” ▪
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ParentsSOS, an educational initiative formed by bereaved families to combat online harms, provides educational resources and advocates for legislative change to protect children online. For more information about ParentsSOS and their mission, visit www.parentssos.org.
Smartphone Free Childhood US is a movement changing the norms around digital technology use during childhood and adolescence by supporting parents and advocates with connection, resources and practical guidance needed to drive collective action within their families, schools and communities. For more information, visit www.smartphonefreechildhoodus.com.
