Central Florida Parent Teacher Associations, or PTAs, will receive funding from to teach students and parents how to be safer online.
The move comes as concerns continue to grow regarding the safety of young people on these platforms.
Funding in Central Florida will go to PTAs at , and Schools. The company is also awarding funding to Florida鈥檚 statewide .
TikTok鈥檚 Lead Outreach and Partnerships Manager Ronald Taylor said the money can be used to support programming in schools aimed at building safer digital boundaries.
He said that might look like workshops where parents and kids can have breakout conversations about social media or even roleplay online safety. The funding can also be used to provide services to support these workshops, including translators, and childcare to allow parents to participate.
鈥淥ur goal within this Create with Kindness program is for teens and parents to take away tangible tips for creating safe digital boundaries, right? It's a conversation, and it's more so about empowering families to make wise decisions,鈥� said Taylor.
In total, 100 high schools will receive more than $300,000 in funding, months before a potential nationwide ban on TikTok could take effect.
that would take effect in the new year, unless the company is sold to a U.S. government approved buyer before that time.
, Chinese parent company has until January 19 to sell the company to an American buyer or face a ban.
The law would make it illegal for web-hosting services to support TikTok, and the TikTok app would be removed from Google and Apple stores.
Biden and other U.S. officials have cited national security concerns with TikTok, along with mental health concerns for TikTok鈥檚 youngest users.
Earlier this year, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law, which prohibits children under the age of 14 from opening up a social media account in the state and allows 14- and 15-year-olds to use social media but only with parental supervision.
DeSantis and other Republican lawmakers also of young people who use these platforms.
Even U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy wants social media companies to warn users that their platforms have been tied to rising mental health issues in teens,
A study published by the last month found, a direct correlation between frequent social media use and an increase in feelings of sadness or hopelessness, bullying, and suicidal ideation.
Read the full CDC study here:
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