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New Survey and Focus Groups Find Strong Support for Comprehensive Youth Mental Health Solutions and Digital Literacy Initiatives Among California Parents.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Coalition to Empower our Future today released new research showing that California parents believe narrowly focused approaches to youth mental health that ban or heavily restrict access to phones and technology could have unintended negative consequences for young people. The findings also point to strong support for comprehensive solutions that address the range of factors affecting youth wellbeing and help families navigate a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
“California parents are rightly skeptical that a single silver bullet can fix the complex and wide-ranging mental health challenges our young people face today,” said Glen Weiner, executive director of the Coalition to Empower our Future. “They’re looking for comprehensive solutions that address
the many factors affecting young Californians’ well-being while helping the state’s families prepare kids to use technology safely and responsibly. Parents in California want practical tools that help young people succeed in today’s an increasing complicated world, not overly simplistic approaches that may lead to unintended consequences.”
According to the survey, three-in-four California parents agree that approaches centered on banning or heavily restricting youth access to phones and technology could lead to unintended negative consequences. Parents who participated in the research said such policies focus on symptoms rather than underlying causes of youth mental health challenges. Some examples of their concerns include:
· “I don’t necessarily support taking the phones away. It’s like solving a symptom, but not necessarily the problem.”
· “If kids know they’re already not supposed to be on a platform, it would cause friction to come to a trusted adult to share something that’s going on if they know they’ll get in trouble for being on it in the first place.”
· “There’s a conflation between mental health and technology – that one causes the other. But I’m not sure there is. I think there are other factors we aren’t discussing.”
While parents expressed concerns about narrow restrictions like bans, they also voiced strong support for more comprehensive approaches to youth mental health. Nearly three-in-four California parents said the best way to improve youth wellbeing is through a range of solutions that address the many factors influencing young people’s lives, rather than focusing on a single issue.
The research also found broad support for digital literacy education. Nearly nine-in-10 California parents agree that young people should be taught how to use emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) safely and responsibly. Similar numbers believe parents should have access to resources and guidance that help them support their children’s technology use.
Parents consistently emphasized the importance of teaching young people how to navigate technology responsibly rather than attempting to remove it from their lives altogether. Participants expressed strong support for digital literacy initiatives, including online safety lessons, teacher training on digital and media literacy, family digital wellness resources and programs that help students better understand AI and online platforms.
The full research findings can be found HERE.
The research, conducted in April 2026 in partnership with Mercury Analytics, included a survey of 600 California parents and live conversations with parents across the state.
About the Coalition to Empower our Future
Coalition to Empower our Future is an organization bringing together a range of voices to fully inform solutions that empower youth, parents, communities, and society. The Coalition to Empower our Future supports solutions that are inclusive of the full spectrum of factors impacting youth mental health. Former Montana Governor Steve Bullock, former U.S. Representative Carlos Curbelo, and Dr. Caroline Carney, a board-certified psychiatrist and internist, serve on the board of directors of the Coalition to Empower our Future.
To learn more, visit empowerourfuturecoalition.com or follow Coalition to Empower our Future on Facebook, Xand YouTube.
