251. Marc Berkman | Social Media Safety

Is social media safe? What protections do our children deserve? Alexander Neville died at 14 years old after buying what he thought was oxycodone on Snap Chat.  A 12 year old boy died after doing a Tik Tok choking challenge. Amanda Todd died by suicide at age 15 after cyberbullying and blackmail. Molly Russell was 14 years old when she died by hanging herself after she binged graphic and romanticized self-harm content up to 2 minutes before she died.

Marc Berkman serves as the CEO of the Organization for Social Media Safety (OFSMS), which he has grown into the world's preeminent consumer protection organization focused on social media. As a globally recognized expert in social media safety, Marc has testified before Congress and been featured in notable publications like the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles Times. Previously, Marc served for over a decade as a senior advisor to members of the United States Congress and the California State Assembly. Marc received his JD from Columbia Law School and his BA from UC Berkeley. He lives with his wife and two children in Los Angeles, CA.

Organization for Social Media Safety, OFSMS is the first and leading nonprofit (501c3) consumer protection-organization focused exclusively on social media. Through advocacy, education, and technology development, OFSMS protects against all social media- related dangers including cyberbullying, suicide, human trafficking, and more. OFSMS has taught essential safety skills to hundreds of thousands of students, parents, and educators across the world; has passed groundbreaking social media safety legislation like Jordan’s Law; and has conducted groundbreaking with research in partnership with U.C.L.A.'s School of Education.

Disclaimer:  The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views, policies, or positions of the United States Government or any of its agencies. The content was recorded prior to the speaker's current federal service and is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only.  No agency endorsement or approval should be inferred.