Hello,

It’s been a whirlwind since news of the $17.1 billion Meta settlement with 51 states and jurisdictions broke, and we’re incredibly grateful to the Fund IRL state coordinators who raised their hands early to help organize in their states and prepare for this moment (and now have very full inboxes and calendars!). The Meta settlement is a major milestone in holding technology companies accountable for harms to young people, and a major opportunity for child and youth advocates to come together around a shared North Star: youth well-being in the digital age.

Fund IRL has always believed that responding to social media harms has to be bigger than addressing what happens online. The Meta settlement’s definition of the purpose of the funds (page 39) is an important validation of what Fund IRL has been advocating for. But the real work begins now: turning those priorities into concrete investments that give young people more opportunities to connect, belong, learn, play, and thrive IRL.

States will—and in some cases already have—make different decisions about how these dollars are used, and advocacy will need to look different in each state. Iowa’s recent announcement is one cautionary example, with the attorney general directing settlement funds toward the general fund, $100 restitution checks for individual teens, enforcement, prosecution, and school resource officers. In Mississippi, while it’s encouraging that the attorney general announced plans to divide the state’s funds among mental health services, outdoor spaces and programs, and afterschool and summer learning opportunities, although the legislature will ultimately decide how those funds are appropriated and whether or not they are used to supplant funds in the relevant departments. These approaches look very different, and both underscore why advocates need to stay engaged as state leaders determine how the youth-focused purposes outlined in the settlement agreement will translate into investments on the ground.

And the Meta settlement is by no means a finish line. There are still active lawsuits and investigations involving TikTok, YouTube (whose CEO recently dismissed the idea of joining the settlement), Snap, Roblox, Discord, and AI chatbots, more than 1,400 school district cases, and hundreds more brought by individuals, Tribes, and local governments. What we learn from this moment, and how states put these dollars to work, can help shape what comes next.

Resources: Making Settlement Dollars Count

There is no one-size-fits-all path for Meta settlement funds. Depending on the state, settlement dollars may flow through a dedicated fund, attorney general discretion, legislative or gubernatorial decisions, or specific youth-focused provisions. The Fund IRL five guiding principles for use of settlement funds give state coalitions a common framework for engaging decision-makers and evaluating proposals:

Protect and Support Youth Well-Being and Mental Health
Invest Across a Variety of Supports and Settings
Use Evidence and Data to Guide Decisions
Ensure Fair, Inclusive, and Transparent Governance
Guarantee Meaningful Access for All Youth

To reinforce this guidance with the networks and state leaders, use our newest resources and leave behind graphics on our website: messaging, guidance graphics, and a research brief created in partnership with Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD).

Meta Settlement Messaging

Download Guidance Graphics

Download Research Brief

IRL in Action: Offline Oakland

On September 13, young people, families and community organizations gathered in Oakland, CA for Offline Oakland: A Community Link Up IRL, a youth-led, phone-free afternoon built around creativity, play and spending time together in person. Youth Speaks and Safe Passages led the event, bringing together more than a dozen local youth organizations, including Bay Area Community Resources, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area, Destiny Arts Center, Girls Inc. of Alameda County, NoSo Connection Collective, Oakland Leaf, Playworks, Soccer Without Borders, Trybe, and Youth Together.

Young people took center stage through singing, dancing, rap, spoken word and poetry, while others made jewelry and phone charms, wrote letters, played lawn games and spent time connecting with friends and community organizations. Tong Thao, Community Manager from California Attorney General Bonta’s office, also joined the gathering and delivered opening remarks.

Fund IRL Momentum

The response to the settlement has made one thing clear: there is enormous momentum and support behind the idea that settlement dollars going to states should directly support the range of supports and opportunities to address youth mental health harms.

Fund IRL now has more than 100 coalition members with many more in state-level coalitions, and we’re hearing from organizations across all 50 states that want to help make sure settlement funds are invested in youth mental health and well-being. Welcome to our newest national coalition members: After-School All-Stars, American Camp Association, The Division of Digital Psychiatry at BIDMC, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Book Harvest, Girls On the Run, iFoster, LANL Foundation, LiveMore ScreenLess, MediaWise, National Alliance for Eating Disorders, National Alliance for Media Literacy Education, National Recreation and Park Association, and NB3 Foundation.

Fund IRL In the News

If Social Media Companies Owe Billions, Let’s Fund What Kids Need - The74

Elizabeth Gaines leader of Fund IRL discusses the $18 Billion settlement that Meta will pay - WPTF Radio

Oakland Event Held to Get Kids Outdoors, Away From Social Media - CBS News Bay Area

Leaders organize youth gatherings at Offline Oakland - KTVU Fox 2

KCBS Radio - Clip 1, Clip 2

Commentary From the States

Opinion: Georgia’s Meta settlement should go to nurturing, healing children - Atlanta Journal Constitution

Meta settlement not the answer to state's education funding crisis - Chicago Sun-Times

Helping young people thrive In real life and online: Evidence-based investments Idaho can make now - Idaho Ed News

Use KY’s Meta settlement to invest in ‘real life’ for kids - Kentucky Lantern

Use social media settlement dollars to help Virginia kids touch grass | Guest column - Richmond Times-Dispatch

Meta settlement money should be used to build something better for kids - South Dakota Searchlight

Young people need more than safer screens - Youth Today

Featured Research: What Are Young People Telling Us?

Belonging in a Digital Age: Teens, Tech, & Third Places, from the California Partners Project, offers a timely reminder of what young people want: more opportunities for real-world connection. According to the research, nearly 9 in 10 California teens say in-person time with friends is important, while more than half wish they connected more in person. But cost, transportation, busy schedules, and a lack of welcoming spaces can all get in the way. The findings reinforce a core Fund IRL message: young people don’t just need safer digital experiences—they need accessible, welcoming places and opportunities to connect in real life.

Read the Belonging in a Digital Age Report

Take Action

Read and repost:

Read our LinkedIn article on the Five Principles to Guide How States Use Meta Settlement Funds for Young People.

Get involved in your state:

Find and contact your state coordinator through the state network directory. If your state doesn’t yet have a state coordinator, contact hello@fundirl.org.

Show us IRL:

Hosting an event that celebrates IRL connection? Send photos or video to hello@fundirl.org.

Visit Our Website

Photo courtesy of Youth Speaks

Turn social media accountability into opportunity. Fund youth well-being.

Fund IRL is an initiative of Children’s Funding Project