The CARU Conference was held this year in Marina del Rey, California (just 15 minutes from LAX Airport) at the Ritz-Carlton hotel. We kicked the day off with a movie screening of Screenagers , the award-winning film that explores family life and the struggles over social media, video games and academics. The movie shares challenges of parenting in a digital world and solutions for how to help kids safely navigate the issues. Later in the day, the film’s star and director, Delaney Ruston shared her own messy, personal experiences. While it’s true that too much screen time can have adverse effects on brain development, it’s also true that prosocial games and media can encourage kids’ good behavior as well. Dr. Ruston hopes that her film will spark a movement—that this film will get families talking about how they can aspire to lead more balanced lives. She thinks industry is up to the task and challenged them to create more cool and prosocial content.   Our first keynote s...

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) took effect in April 2000, back at a time when social media, smartphones, and Big Tech were just a twinkle in our eyes. As we approach the 20th anniversary of COPPA, a coalition of bipartisan senators are pushing for reform in light of Facebook’s controversial Project Atlas research app, which “paid users as young as 13 for sweeping access to their phones to gain insight into their habits to inform future product decision.” Read more in Cat Zakrzewski’s article in the Washington Post . COPPA protects children under 13, but given the fact that older children and teens do not fully understand the ramifications of consenting to a company’s privacy policy, legislators are pushing to expand and update federal legislation protecting children’s digital privacy. A federal standard would ensure companies stay consistent in operating nationwide or international business, as other jurisdictions have taken broader action than current U.S. ...

Does Diversity Matter? By, Dr. Kevin Clark Diversity is sometimes discussed as an after-thought, but as new innovations emerge it is clear that it needs to be more top of mind. In 2016, US Census data showed that babies of color were in the majority. It is estimated that by 2020, the majority of youth 18 years and younger will be of color; with the rest of the population becoming majority ‘minority’ by 2040. The impact of this demographic shift will be particularly felt in media and advertising.   Children of color are typically exposed to media the most; about 13 hours per day, as compared to 8.5 hours for White children. Exposure to television is about 5.5 hours per day for children of color, but only 3.5 hours for White children. This is significant because research has shown that one-third of African American youth report being exposed often to negative content regarding their race and one-fourth reported being exposed often to content that is negat...

Mattel’s Chief Information Security Office, Fares Alraie, will participate in a keynote fireside chat with Sheila Millar of Keller and Heckman LLP, at The Children’s Advertising Review Unit’s Conference on March 6 th in Los Angeles, CA. The speakers will discuss Alraie’s perspective on embracing security and privacy as core corporate values at Mattel. He will also speak about incorporating privacy and security into the design of connected products.   CARU’s conference will examine the complex issues facing the children’s advertising and marketing industries in the United States and abroad. In addition to the keynote with Mattel’s Chief Information Security Officer, there will be discussions on impactful new privacy regulations, the best practices for advertising in mobile applications, and using technology in creative ways to support children’s digital well-being.   You can find out more information here .