Jim Steyer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jim Steyer
Steyer in 2018
Born	James Pearson Steyer 1956 (age 68–69) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Civil rights attorney, professor and author
Years active	1988–present
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Liz Butler Steyer
Children	4
Family	Tom Steyer (brother)

James Pearson Steyer (born 1956) is an American lawyer, professor, and author. He is best known for starting Common Sense Media. This group helps families learn about safe technology and media for kids.

Early Life and Learning

Steyer was born in New York City in 1956. His mother was a teacher who helped students with reading. His father was a lawyer. Jim was very inspired by his mother. She sometimes took him to her classes to help her teach. A friend of Jim's from college said that Jim's focus on kids came from his strong bond with his mom.

Steyer finished high school early. He then worked with his mother, teaching reading in a public school in Harlem. Later, he went to Stanford University. He studied American Government there. After college, he spent two years helping communities in Asia. He then went to Stanford Law School and finished in 1983.

While in law school, Steyer helped start the East Palo Alto Community Law Project. This group gave free legal help to families who didn't have much money. After law school, he worked for a judge on the California Supreme Court. Then, he became a civil rights lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. There, he worked to help African Americans who were facing challenges.

Jim Steyer's Career

For 35 years, Jim Steyer has taught classes at Stanford University. He teaches about politics, education, and civil rights. He has also written three books:

• The Other Parent: The Inside Story of the Media's Effect on our Children (2002) – This book looks at how media affects kids.
• Talking Back to Facebook: The Common Sense Guide to Raising Kids in the Digital Age (2012) – This book gives advice to parents about raising kids in the digital world.
• Which Side of History: How Technology Is Reshaping Democracy & Our Lives (2021) – This book explores how technology is changing our lives and democracy.

Some of his former students include famous people like Senator Cory Booker and Chelsea Clinton.

Helping Kids with Media

In 1988, Steyer started his first group to help children, called Children Now. This group worked hard to make sure TV channels showed at least three hours of educational kids' programs each week. This idea later became a law. The group also made a "report card" about children in California. This report card showed important facts, like how many kids didn't have health insurance.

After Children Now, Steyer saw that there was a big need for good educational TV shows for kids. So, in 1996, he started JP Kids. This company made shows like The Famous Jett Jackson, which was on the Disney Channel. JP Kids also had an online place where teens could share their thoughts and talk about different topics.

In 2010, Steyer received Stanford's top teaching award. In 2011, he helped create the Center for the Next Generation. This group works to influence public discussions about issues affecting children and energy.

When Google announced in 2012 that it would collect information about users across its many websites, Steyer spoke out. He said that people, especially kids and teens, should be able to choose if their information is tracked. In 2012, the Department of Education asked Steyer to lead a group called the LEAD Commission. This group works to improve digital tools and lessons in schools. Steyer also worked with Hillary Clinton on an initiative called Too Small to Fail.

In 2016, Steyer was named one of the most influential people in education technology. That same year, he started the Common Sense Kids campaign. This campaign aims to focus more on children's issues in politics.

Steyer still teaches a class at Stanford today. Famous guest speakers, like Condoleezza Rice and Jim Mattis, often come to talk to his students.

Future of Tech Commission

In April 2021, Steyer launched the Future of Tech Commission. He started it with former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and former Education Secretary Margaret Spellings. This group will suggest solutions for new technology rules. They will look at topics like privacy, fairness, and how online platforms are held responsible.

Common Sense Media

Steyer founded Common Sense Media in 2003. This non-profit group focuses on how media and technology affect young people. Steyer describes it as "nutritional labeling of media." This means they help people understand what's in the media they consume, just like food labels.

Common Sense Media gets money from donations and from working with media companies. They share their information with over 100 million homes in the U.S. They partner with big companies like Comcast, Netflix, Google, and Nickelodeon.

Steyer's advice reaches millions of parents each month through articles and reviews. Common Sense Media helps parents and kids find content that is right for their age. In 2021, Steyer said that Common Sense Media had 1.2 million teacher members. Their programs teach students and parents about being smart and safe online. These programs are used in over 90,000 schools across the U.S.

Common Sense Media played a big part in a 2005 California law. This law tried to limit the sale of violent video games. However, the Supreme Court later said the law was not allowed.

In 2012, the movie Bully was released. Common Sense Media gave it a "Pause 13+" rating. This meant that viewers under 17 could watch it in theaters with a signed note from a parent. The movie had originally been rated R, which meant no one under 17 could watch it without an adult.

In 2023, Steyer spoke at SXSW. He was part of a discussion called How Teens Really Feel About Social Media. He also spoke at the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival. In January 2024, the first Common Sense Summit was held. Important speakers like Dr. Vivek Murthy and Hillary Clinton attended.

Privacy

Jim Steyer cares a lot about online privacy. In 2014, he supported California's "Eraser Bill." This law lets kids under 18 remove their posts from social media websites. That same year, Steyer called another California law "a big win for kids." This law stops schools from selling or sharing students' online information. It also prevents targeted ads based on school data.

In 2016, Common Sense Media started rating laws. They wanted to show which laws would help children and which could harm them. Common Sense Media also supported the U.S. Department of Commerce creating an "online privacy policy." This policy would include a "Privacy Bill of Rights." It would make it clear what personal information companies can keep about people.

Steyer has also asked for updates to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). He said that when this law was made, it was like "the stone age of digital media." He pointed out that platforms like Google, YouTube, and Facebook didn't even exist then.

In 2018, Steyer wrote that he supported strong privacy laws. He said that families in California should have the right to know how their personal information is used. Common Sense and Steyer supported the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018. This law gives people new rights over their data. It has extra protections for kids under 16. This law started in 2020.

Also in 2018, Steyer joined a campaign called "Truth About Tech." He worked with former Google and Facebook employees. In 2018, The Wall Street Journal called Steyer one of "The New Tech Avengers." They said he was helping to make the tech industry responsible for privacy and addiction. In 2020, Steyer was named a member of the "Real Facebook Oversight Board." This group watches over Facebook.

Writing

Steyer wrote The Other Parent: The Inside Story of the Media's Effect on Our Children. A magazine from Stanford said the book shows a "frightening picture" of media companies and parents who are too busy to pay attention. He has also been on the boards of many non-profit groups.

In 2012, Steyer released Talking Back to Facebook. This book talks about how digital media is part of children's lives. The book encourages parents to be more involved in their children's online activities. It gives ideas for staying safe in the digital world. In an interview, Steyer said that in a world where everything is photographed, the results of youthful mistakes can be much bigger.

In 2020, Steyer wrote Which Side of History: How Technology is Reshaping Democracy and Our Lives. This book had chapters written by other important people, including Sacha Baron Cohen and Michael Bloomberg.

Personal Life

Steyer lives in the Bay Area with his wife, Liz, and their four children. His wife is the Director of the California Institute on Law, Neuroscience and Education. This group does research and helps create policies. Before this, she worked with groups that helped students and families.