Representatives from the major American technology companies will be meeting with first lady Melania Trump next week as part of her effort to protect children from cyberbullying and other social media exposure.
The Washington Post first reported that Trump has invited Amazon, Facebook, Google, Twitter, and Snap as part of her “ongoing effort to have conversations about issues affecting children, including how they handle social media,” East Wing communications director Stephanie Grisham told CNN.
“Mrs. Trump has simply asked for a meeting to discuss one of the many things that impacts children — as she has done many times in the past, on several different topics,” Grisham said.
“While the first lady has yet to unveil a formal platform, she’s hinted that issues affecting children will be key to her efforts,” CNN reported.
Last fall, Trump spoke to spouses of world leaders at the United Nations in New York City about how she wanted to address the content children are confronted with on social media platforms.
“Together, we must acknowledge that all too often it is the weakest, most innocent and vulnerable among us, our children, who ultimately suffer the most from the challenges that plague our societies,” Trump said. “Whether it is drug addiction, bullying, poverty, disease, trafficking, illiteracy, or hunger, it is the children who are hit first and hardest in any country.”
“And as we all know, the future of every nation rests with the promise of their young people,” Trump said.
At a recent gathering of governors from around the country at the White House, Trump spoke about adults needing to take the lead in providing children with guidance and protection while online.
“It is important that, as adults, we take the lead and the responsibility in helping our children manage the many issues they are facing today,” Trump said in the CNN report of the event.
“This means encouraging positive habits with social media and technology; even limiting time online and understanding the content they are exposed to on a daily basis,” Trump said.
Follow Penny Starr on Twitter