Last week we attended the National Association of Attorneys General 2024 Presidential Initiative Summit in Portland Oregon, titled “America’s Youth: AGs Looking Out for the Next Generation.” Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum of Oregon is the current N.A.A.G. President and the host of the Summit. Topics covered in this conference included a discussion of the impacts on youth of social media, influencers, substances, financial literacy, artificial intelligence, and gaming and how AGs can help address these subjects through outreach, education, and enforcement. During many of these panels, AGs and other speakers engaged with youth themselves in discussions to better understand their perspectives.

One theme that emerged was the difficulty in determining the best way to distribute responsibility for these impacts: among children themselves, parents, industry, and government. For example, New Mexico Attorney General Torrez noted that parents need to lead by example in their use of social media. New Hampshire Attorney General Formella similarly discussed families changing the discussion with their children around money, encouraging talking about it rather than making it taboo.

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford moderated a panel called “Fun and Games? Gaming’s Impact on Youth.” He also discussed the difficulty of determining a parent’s responsibility in monitoring kids’ gaming, joking that parents may have to start from the cradle -- “Rock-a-bye baby, don’t talk in the chat!” The AG also criticized mobile games that pressure users to make purchases in order to continue playing, a sentiment echoed by a Portland State University student who described the investment some players make in video games to avoid missing out on limited edition items. Panelists described the incorporation of social media into gaming through chat features and external third-party gaming-related sites. They noted similar positive and detrimental effects of social media can be echoed through the community aspects of games, and children have shown ingenuity in getting around parental settings. A panelist also commented on how gaming can sometimes get mixed with promotion of gambling, especially through advertising. A representative of the gaming industry responded to this conversation reminding the audience of the separate responsibility of social media companies to comply with ad targeting laws, and that parents can look to game ratings and platform parental controls to help restrict children’s access as appropriate.

Overall, the Summit showed the importance many AGs place on protecting youth. Businesses who market to children and young adults should be aware of the AGs activities in this space, whether it be through consumer outreach or enforcement actions, to help ensure they don’t run afoul of the law.

N.A.A.G. 2024 Presidential Initiative Summit Wrap Up