Non-Profit Introduces "The Social Media Driver's License" To Tackle Today's Teen Mental Health Crisis By Teaching Best Ways To Navigate Smartphones & Social Media

 

BUYING YOUR 10-14 YEAR-OLD A PHONE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON? READY SET SCREEN LAUNCHES “THE SOCIAL MEDIA DRIVER’S LICENSE,”

AN INNOVATIVE NEW PROGRAM TAKING ON THE TEEN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS BY

TEACHING HOW TO NAVIGATE SMARTPHONES AND SOCIAL MEDIA

 

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (November 12, 2025) -- Ready Set Screen, a nonprofit providing expert-designed programs for parents and kids to build healthy digital habits, reduce screen-related stress, and foster independence in an increasingly online world, has announced  The Social Media Driver’s License. Introduced today by Jennifer Berger, Founder and Executive Director of Ready Set Screen, this first-of-its-kind program uses proven media literacy principles to prepare children 10-14 for the adoption of smartphones and social media. A critical need in the face of the ongoing teen mental health crisis.

The American Psychological Association and U.S. Surgeon General have tied social media to an alarming and ongoing teen mental health crisis. According to Pew Research, two-thirds of parents feel overwhelmed by their child’s tech use and nearly 50% of teens say overuse of social media harms them or their friends. Concerned by this growing problem and drawing on her two decades of experience and expertise teaching media literacy to teens, Berger brings a singular point of view and real-world solution with the creation of The Social Media Driver’s License.

“The research is clear that the adoption of social media and smartphones is harming teens in a myriad of ways,” said Berger. “I know firsthand, from my years of experience teaching media literacy to teens, that helping kids develop the skills to understand and engage with the media they encounter as they adopt new technologies is critical to ending the ongoing teen mental health crisis.”

Built to be flexible and relatable, with teen hosts and parents sharing real-world experiences, The Social Media Driver’s License has two tracks – one for parents and one for the pre-smartphone child. This enables parents and their kids to learn and engage with each other as they forge a responsible and successful relationship with social media, texting, gaming, and other digital media. 

“This is the first time someone has pulled together a comprehensive program covering so many critical topics in such a compelling way,” noted Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, former executive director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education. “I’m thrilled to see The Social Media Driver’s License come to life, and know from talking to parents around the country that this is filling an enormous gap for them as they grapple with their children’s adoption of smartphones and social media.” 

Across ten video sessions, youth participants in The Social Media Driver’s License will learn how to analyze, understand, and react to common online situations using proven media literacy skills. Lessons include: the downsides of comparing yourself to others, knowing when to find mental health support, staying safe without being afraid, what to do when encountering strangers online, dealing with inappropriate content, handling texting-related conflict, developing healthy digital habits as a life skill, seeing through addictive design, resisting the power of advertising, and more. 

A companion podcast series offers parents conversation starters for effective tech-related talks with kids and teens, methods for supporting maturing kids’ tech use instead of monitoring them, along with insights from other parents and experts on raising balanced and healthy teens in a digital age. 

“Navigating social media is more complex than ever for youth and families. I’m excited to see Ready Set Screen deliver a hands-on, practical resource like The Social Media Driver’s License that parents and young people can use together to prepare them from the start to have safer, healthier experiences online,” said Vicki Harrison, Program Director, Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing at Stanford Medicine. 

“While every family will have their own rules and restrictions around technology, the research is clear that developing safe, healthy habits that stay with them throughout their lives is key to protecting their overall mental health,” added Berger. “I’m proud to apply my years of experience in media literacy education to helping parents and teens do just that.”

For more information, please visit the Social Media Driver’s License.                                             

About Jennifer Berger

A tireless advocate for helping teens become smart consumers of media of all kinds, Berger recently reached the 20-year mark of working full-time in media literacy education, drawing on a passion for making girls and women aware of how media impacts them. That passion started in her college years at University of Michigan when she saw Dr. Jean Kilbourne’s seminal film “Killing Us Softly.” Since 2001, she’s helped teens question media and take their own action through her work as executive director of About-Face in San Francisco. Berger transformed it from an all-volunteer activist group into a first-of-its-kind nonprofit, which helped more than 10,000 teens question their media and understand how it can affect their self-esteem. She recently led the organization through another transformation, bringing media literacy and more to parents, kids, and teens, through a nationally available program, The Social Media Driver’s License. Please visit: https://jenniferlberger.com/

Berger’s areas of expertise include:

 

- Empowering teens through media awareness

- Online safety for kids without fear

- Digital wellness habits for a healthier online life

- Social media’s role in the teen mental health crisis

- Ending the teen mental health crisis using media literacy

- Managing the impact of advertising on kids and teens