To our digital thriving community,​
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Welcome to the fifth installment of our limited newsletter and video series, Three for Thriving, where we share some the latest news articles at the intersection of youth well-being and technology.

In this week’s Three for Thriving video recap, we’re spotlighting a major study linking social media use to rising depression in preteens, a new wave of “alternative devices” designed to keep kids connected without the pull of addictive apps, and a growing trust gap in classrooms as students and teachers navigate the role of AI in schoolwork.

These headlines reflect a recurring theme: adults are trying to set boundaries around tech—but youth want to be part of the conversation. A new survey from the Digital Wellness Lab backs that up, showing that teens value balanced phone policies that are created with them, not for them. Finally, Vox also explored how families can navigate the AI era with kids—offering an approach that aligns with one of the eight mindshifts in our new professional development course for educators: shifting from “What the heck?” to “What’s familiar?” These shifts are designed to help adults stay grounded, even as the tools keep changing.

Our Three for Thriving video recap breaks down these trending stories—watch it here for more context. Read on for the full roundup of news stories from this past week that sparked our team's curiosity.

You can also follow along on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Bluesky. If someone forwarded this email, you can opt in here to have the next installment delivered direct to your inbox.

Three for Thriving - Week of May 19, 2025

Watch this week's Three for Thriving video spotlight or read on for more of this week’s stories.

ABC News | Tara Campbell | Federal judge allows lawsuit that blames Bay Area company's AI chatbot for teen's death
​ABC News reports that a federal judge is allowing a lawsuit to go forward against Character Technologies and Google, accusing their AI chatbot of contributing to a teenager’s suicide by providing unsafeguarded, lifelike AI companions to minors—a case that could set new legal precedents for tech company responsibility.

The Atlantic | Kaitlyn Tiffany | Why Are There So Many ‘Alternative Devices’ All of a Sudden?
​The Atlantic and Fortune spotlight the growing popularity of “Alternative Device Fairs,” where concerned parents explore limited-function phones designed to keep kids connected without exposing them to addictive social media or harmful online content, often employing AI-driven safety tools to ease digital supervision.

Axios | Maria Curi | Exclusive: Bipartisan duo revives bill to fight online child pornography
​Axios highlights that Senators Josh Hawley and Dick Durbin are reviving the STOP CSAM Act, targeting tech companies’ liability under Section 230 in cases of child sexual abuse material online, especially with the rise of AI-generated content, and enabling both civil and criminal penalties for platforms that knowingly host such material.

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Digital Wellness Lab | Pulse Survey: Fairness and Focus: Teens Weigh in on School Phone Policies
​Digital Wellness Lab reveals that while many teens agree school phone policies help reduce distractions, students also value the autonomy and thoughtful use that phones can provide for learning and socializing, and they wish to be involved in shaping the rules affecting them. Their survey highlights the importance of student voice, policy clarity, and a balanced approach to creating effective phone guidelines.

​​Education Week | Olina Banerji | Trump Cracks Down Against Explicit AI Images. What It Means for Schools
​Education Week highlights that President Trump signed the bipartisan Take It Down Act to combat AI-generated deepfake exploitation, giving the FTC power to enforce swift content removal. While many educators welcome the law, experts urge a focus on prevention, AI literacy, and support systems over purely punitive measures.

Entrepreneur | Elle Morgan | This Fun Friday Night Family Ritual Taught Me a Surprising Lesson About AI and Creativity
​Entrepreneur shares how Elle Morgan’s family organizes weekly “Prompt Parties,” using generative AI to bring their kids’ imaginative prompts to life through playful images and videos. Morgan reflects that this joyful ritual not only introduces children to AI in an empowering, hands-on way, but also shows how technology can supplement rather than replace creativity, fostering emotional connection and confidence.

GovTech | Brandi Vesco | How One School Counselor Uses AI to Support More Students
​GovTech highlights how Hanna Kemble-Mick, a school counselor in Kansas, uses AI chatbots such as "Pickles the Classroom Support Dog" to offer immediate social-emotional support and academic guidance, allowing her to better serve her large caseload of students without replacing personal interaction. Pickles, the chatbot, gives kids a friendly outlet for managing emotions and helps teachers and Kemble-Mick track which students need extra attention.

Mashable | Rebecca Ruiz | AI has entered the therapy session — and it's recording you​
Mashable reports that therapists are increasingly using AI-powered "scribes" to record and document therapy sessions, streamlining administrative tasks but raising ethical questions about patient privacy, consent, and risks of sensitive data breaches. Although such tools can ease provider workloads, experts urge a cautious approach and the use of non-recording options to better safeguard client trust and confidentiality.

NBC News | The Associated Press | Half of U.S. states now have laws banning or regulating cellphones in schools, with more to follow
​NBC News reports that half of U.S. states have now passed laws banning or restricting cellphone use in schools, with many aiming for strict all-day bans to address worries about student mental health and safety, though enforcement and parent pushback remain ongoing challenges.

New Scientist | Chris Stokel-Walker | Attempt to reach expert consensus on teens and phones ends in argument
​New Scientist reports that an attempt by over 100 experts to reach consensus on the effects of smartphones on teens revealed deep divisions, with agreement that mental health is declining but little causal evidence to support strict policy reforms. Critics also questioned the panel's balance and the omission of potential social media benefits.

Politico | Eliza Gkritsi & Pieter Haeck | Europe’s effort to block kids from social media gathers pace
​Politico reveals that Greece, France, and Spain are leading a push for EU-wide restrictions on children's social media use, including age verification and design changes to discourage addictive behavior. The move aims to harmonize online child safety laws across Europe, though industry resistance is expected.

San Francisco Chronicle | Connie Leyva & Steven Glazer | Big Tech harms kids and local news. California needs to hit it with an impact tax
​The San Francisco Chronicle highlights a proposal from former California lawmakers to impose an “impact tax” on big tech companies, aiming to fund youth mental health services and rescue local journalism from the economic fallout of digital advertising dominance.

The 74 | Mark D. Benigni & Barbara A. Haeffner | Instead of Banning Cellphones in School, Our Connecticut District Embraced Them
​The 74 shares how Meriden Public Schools in Connecticut is taking a different approach by encouraging students to use their phones as learning tools, providing digital citizenship lessons, and showing teachers and families how responsible tech use and AI can actually enhance education.

The Wall Street Journal | Julie Jargon | Students Are Humanizing Their Writing—By Putting It Through AI
​The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times report that fears of AI-assisted cheating have led schools to adopt AI detectors, sparking a wave of false accusations and forcing even honest students to preemptively defend their work—sometimes by altering perfectly legitimate writing or recording their writing process, deepening distrust in the classroom.

​​The Washington Post | Heather Kelly | Teens are sexting with AI. Here’s what parents should know
​The Washington Post highlights that more teens are having romantic and even sexually explicit chats with AI chatbots, raising concerns about unrealistic expectations and mental health risks. Experts there say parents should keep an open dialogue, set up device controls, and help teens safely navigate this new tech landscape.

The Washington Post | Molly Roberts, Monica Hesse & Megan McArdle | How AI is depriving students of basic human skills
​The Washington Post explores how generative AI is eroding students’ foundational thinking skills, with columnists arguing in their “Impromptu” podcast that overreliance on tools like ChatGPT undermines genuine learning. They call for educators to prioritize teaching critical analysis and intellectual autonomy in an AI-driven world.

UCSF | Jared Marsh | Yes, Social Media Might Be Making Kids Depressed
​A three-year UCSF study of nearly 12,000 preteens found that as kids' social media use increased, their depression symptoms also rose significantly, while the reverse was not true—indicating social media may actively contribute to youth depression. The research also links cyberbullying to greater risks of suicidal thoughts and substance use, and experts suggest families engage in open conversations and establish screen-free times to support healthier technology habits.

U.S. News & World Report | Associated Press | Industry Leaders Urge Senate to Protect Against AI Deepfakes With No Fakes Act​
​U.S. News & World Report shares that tech and music industry leaders—including YouTube executives and Martina McBride—have urged the Senate to pass the No Fakes Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at curbing the abuse of AI-generated deepfakes that misuse people’s likenesses and voices without consent. The proposed law would create penalties for unauthorized digital replicas, require takedown mechanisms for victims, and seeks to balance responsible AI development with protection of personal and creative rights.

Vox | Anna North and Adam Clark Estes | Should I teach my kids to use AI?
​Vox’s Anna North and Adam Clark Estes discuss how parents should navigate the AI era with their kids, recommending collaborative exploration and guidance to foster skill-building and safety, as AI becomes an inescapable part of childhood learning and play, bringing both opportunities and risks.

A few words on our approach...

We track dozens of stories each week across youth mental health, AI in education, tech policy, and more. Then, we curate this newsletter to share the emerging trends, tensions, and ideas shaping the digital lives of young people. Inclusion of a story doesn’t mean it reflects our thinking—it means we think it’s worth understanding. This newsletter is all about capturing what we see across the landscape and surfacing the patterns that are shaping the conversation. While we use AI to help with organization and drafting, this newsletter is very much human made. And sometimes, humans make mistakes. If you catch one, let us know!

The Center for Digital Thriving is a research and innovation center based at Project Zero at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Our mission is to create knowledge and research-based resources that help people – especially youth – thrive in a tech-filled world.

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