This year, lawmakers across the country are rightly sounding the alarm on the risks social media poses to children and teenagers. From concerns over mental health to exposure to harmful content, the evidence is clear: our kids need protection.

But while many proposals before the California Legislature offer well-meaning solutions, Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks is leading an effort to change the law by providing a realistic, privacy-first framework that safeguards vulnerable youth— and LGBTQ+ students—without sacrificing their access to supportive online communities.

At first glance, warning labels and parental monitoring tools may seem like common-sense measures. But research and experience show otherwise. Warning fatigue is real. Teens quickly learn to click past repetitive pop-ups, rendering the intended safety message meaningless. Decades of public health data on cigarette and alcohol warnings show that labels rarely lead to lasting behavioral change. Applying this failed model to digital safety does nothing actually to keep teens safe online.

That’s why people should complement Assemblywoman Wicks for her courage in championing this issue. Her work represents a smarter, evidence-based alternative. And working with her colleagues, they improved legislation that could unintentionally enable content censorship—tools that too often cut LGBTQ+ teens off from vital resources and peer support. The Wicks Plan centers on privacy, requiring data minimization and limiting surveillance that could expose or endanger vulnerable young people.

While no solution is perfect, Assemblywoman Wicks is at least trying to protect all children.

Finally, it is important to remember that in many households, kids are often the tech experts.  Parents look to their children to assist them in setting up their devices, yet in doing so, they play a conflicting role.

Creating solutions to protect children from social media and gaming villains can also drive youth away from trusted platforms and toward less regulated corners of the internet—where risks of exploitation and harmful content are even greater.

We all agree on the goal: ensuring kids can thrive in a digital age without being exposed to preventable harms. But good intentions aren’t enough. California must lead with solutions that actually work. Assemblywoman Wicks may not be a household name, but she is at the top of my hero’s list because she deeply cares about protecting all children from online predators. Her passion translates into action by protecting our most vulnerable youth. We need more than labels and lectures—it requires trust, privacy, and a commitment to keeping vital connections open.

Thank you,  Assemblywoman Wicks, for being my hero!

— Jeffrey Lewis is the President of Legacy Health Endowment. The views expressed are his own.