Today, First Lady Melania Trump met with key leaders of top companies and associations to discuss the positive and negative effects the Internet and technology can have on children. Mrs. Trump opened the roundtable by emphasizing on the importance of focusing on children and giving them the tools and information necessary to encourage responsible and positive behaviors.

The hour-long meeting focused on a variety of topics, with key themes that included the importance of supporting children and teaching empathy and kindness in offline spaces, supporting social and emotional wellness in children, identifying digital opportunities for both parents and kids to ensure safe online behaviors, and effective solutions and public policies to improve online safety.

Representatives from each of the platforms shared some of the valuable lessons their companies have learned throughout the years, and brought insight into the current challenges the companies face today. A common theme among all in attendance was that talking to children remains the number one parental and adult control in the online space.

“Social media and technology are interwoven in the daily lives of our children,” said First Lady Melania Trump. “As parents, we must find ways to talk openly with them about the potential dangers that exist so they can be responsible digital citizens. We have a real opportunity to teach positive online behaviors, but that also means addressing issues offline such as kindness, empathy, and respect. I am grateful to the technology experts for their collaboration and willingness to come together at our meeting today. I look forward to continuing our focus on educating children on the power of positivity.”