Sophia Addison of Child Mind Institute testifies on mental health and digital wellness

Hope you can turn your mic on, yep.

Good afternoon and thank you for the opportunity to testify.

My name is Sophia Addison.

I'm the Vice President for School and Community Programs at the Child Mind Institute.

Nationally, the Child Mind Institute has reached more than 2 million children.

And here in New York City, we've actually reached over 375 children in New York City public schools, as well as caregivers and parents.

Our team has built and delivered New York City workshops on mental health and social media, strategies for promoting healthy digital engagement, and early childhood screen time and regulation, along with conducting studies to survey how teens are experiencing

belonging both online and in person.

At the Child Mind Institute, our work with schools equips educators and school communities with evidence-based tools and resources that support students'emotional well-being and relationships.

As a leading voice in youth mental health, we are committed to advancing rigorous research that informs evidence-based policy and practice.

We support precautionary safeguards on technology that are justified

by current evidence, including age-appropriate design standards for users under 18, platform transparency backed by independent audits, and mental health impact assessments for new features that reach younger users,

alongside technology literacy initiatives that make clear what a given tool is and is not, so families and educators can make informed decisions.

On AI specifically, our own next generation digital therapeutics frameworks builds fit for purpose, responsible by design digital tools for youth mental health.

We believe any AI used with students should meet the same bar, developmentally appropriate, safety tested, and always paired with a path to human.

15 seconds.

New York City has already adopted a no-device policy during the school day, and we support that approach, especially during instructional periods.

A no-device policy on its own doesn't teach students how to regulate their own digital behavior.

What's still needed is a clear look at how it's working in practice so it's implemented fairly and benefits all students alongside mental health literacy curricula that teaches healthy technology relationships.

Thank you.

Thanks so much.

Thank you all for your testimony and look forward to our continued work together on this issue.

Our next panel is Shannon Ritchie, Naomi Sachs, and Amy Turchiano.

And as they're coming up, I know the other panel just left, but I want to thank Lainey because in her testimony, she referenced Intro 959 and 960.

Those are two of my pieces of legislation that we're looking forward to to get more better reporting, more transparency around the dealing and the use of these devices, including AI.