News release: “The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today released a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) asking how children can be served and protected and parents can be further empowered in the new digital media landscape. The NOI comes almost 20 years after enactment of the Children’s Television Act and follows the Commission’s recently issued Child Safe Viewing Act Report, which examined parental control technologies for video and audio programming. Children live in a dramatically different media environment from the one their parents and grandparents grew up in decades ago. From television to mobile devices to the Internet, electronic media today offer an array of opportunities to, among other things, access educational content, communicate with family and peers, and acquire the skills and technological literacy necessary to compete in a global economy. However, digital media can also pose risks of harm to children, including exposing them exploitative advertising, inappropriate content, and cyberbullying, as well as potentially contributing to childhood obesity and other negative health impacts. The NOI asks to what extent children are using electronic media today, the benefits and risks this presents, and the ways in which parents, teachers, and children can help reap the benefits while minimizing the risks of using these technologies.”