James P. Steyer

James Steyer is one of the most respected experts and entrepreneurs on issues related to children’s media and education in the United States. He is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Common Sense Media, the nation’s leading non-partisan organization dedicated to improving media and technology choices for kids and families. This work and his own experience as a father have fed into his book, Talking Back To Facebook: A Common-Sense Guide to Raising Kids in the Digital Age. It's a compelling exploration of how social media and cellphone technology have transformed the lives of today's young people — often in much more dramatic ways than today's adults might suspect.

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His newest book, Which Side of History?: How Technology Is Reshaping Democracy and Our Lives, is a groundbreaking book that challenges opinion leaders and the broader public to take action to improve technology's effect on our lives.

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Jim's understanding of contemporary youth is reflected in his 25-year career as an award-winning faculty member at Stanford University where he has taught popular courses for 25 years. Among other honors, he has been awarded the university's highest teaching honor — the Walter J. Gores Award for Excellence in Teaching — awarded annually to three Stanford professors. In addition, he was voted by the students to be Class Day speaker at Stanford’s graduation exercises.

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Prior to launching Common Sense Media, Jim was Chairman and CEO of JP Kids, a leading educational kids’ media company. Before that, he was the Founder and President of Children Now, the highly respected, national advocacy and media organization for children, which he founded in 1988. Mr. Steyer serves regularly as an expert commentator on an assortment of national television and radio programs and hosts a weekly news feature on Kids and the Media on CBS-5 TV in San Francisco. He has frequently appeared on such shows as Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Larry King Live, CNN National News, Fox News and the CBS Early Show. He is also the author of The Other Parent: The Inside Story of the Media’s Effect on our Children.

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