Genachowski Targets Moving Kids to Broadband, Internet Safety, ‘Online Values’

The children’s media and Internet agenda of FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski ranges from connecting all kids to broadband, starting an interagency working group on Internet safety and combating texting while driving. Other priorities are reducing the number of ads for junk food during kids’ TV shows and establishing “a framework of online norms and values,” Genachowski said at the National Museum of American History. Friday’s event where Genachowski touched on traditional and new media was one of the last to disclose part of the National Broadband Plan before it’s released Tuesday. “A clear and non-negotiable goal [is] every child should be connected to broadband,” with a quarter lacking it now, he said: “As a country we're falling behind."

Changing the Universal Service Fund by using it in part for broadband, updating E-Rate rules to let libraries use related resources for public Internet access after school hours and having thousands of people in a digital literacy corps are among the plan’s proposals, Genachowski said. “We'll push for libraries and other community centers to have more broadband capacity.” Working “across government” also will include representatives from industry and non-profit groups, he said. Genachowski seeks “digital citizenship” and “norms of behavior” for social and other online media where anonymity can breed bad behavior. “These opportunities are real, but so are the risks” of exposing kids to “new dangers,” he said. “Parents are left asking if they should be embracing new technologies or worrying about them. The answer: We have to do both."

The speech took aim at children’s TV rules, something Genachowski has said before is a priority. “We need to review our rules to see if they keep pace with new technologies, starting with the Children’s Television Act. We will ask hard questions to see if broadcasters are fulfilling” their obligations, he said. “How often do you see an ad for a healthy food product during kids’ programming?” he asked. “No wonder childhood obesity rates have tripled over the past 30 years."

It’s a problem that parental controls “are still only used by a small fraction of the population,” Genachowski said. “How can we communicate the viability of these tools more clearly and effectively?” Asking about the risks children face “in the digital age,” he noted about 40 percent of children surveyed report being bullied online but only 10 percent tell someone at the time. A quarter of teens say they've texted while driving, Genachowski said. “We need to continue our efforts to eliminate distracted driving."

Sesame Street character Elmo closed out the event, bantering with Genachowski before kids entered the room. “Elmo has to pee,” the character told the chairman. “Elmo will hold it.” But later, he said, “Elmo couldn’t wait.” A children’s “summit” will be held at year’s end to assess progress made and what more is needed and a meeting will be held soon on the subject in Silicon Valley, Genachowski said. He didn’t take questions at the event.