“That’s insane. It can’t be possible,” a woman muttered under her breath sitting at the Common Sense Media presentation Jan. 11 at Marymount of Santa Barbara.

The statistics and data shared with the audience by Jim Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, were a wake-up call for the adult audience, made up of curious and concerned parents from several schools in Santa Barbara county.

Steyer called the media and technology “the other parent” because of the effect it is having on today’s youths and the amount of time that young people spend engaged with technology in one form or another on a daily basis.

The evening’s presentation was an extension of a media literacy and ethics curriculum Marymount has instituted in its middle school.

“It’s not enough to react to problems when they come up. By then it is often too late and damage has been done,” said Deborah David, head of school at Marymount. “Students need to understand technology and learn to use it responsibly and ethically from the start. That’s a part of what Marymount’s Middle School’s Ethics Program endeavors to accomplish.”

Steyer is well-known for his efforts on behalf of children.

A recent Los Angeles Times article said, “Video games are replete with gangsters, zombies and other evil characters. But for the industry that makes those games, its scariest foe is Jim Steyer. … A longtime children’s advocate, Steyer has taken up the flag against the game industry and lobbied zealously on behalf of a California law that bans the sale of violent games to minors.”

Common Sense Media, the company that he founded, also provides ratings and reviews of books, movies, video games and music as well as other information for parents trying to navigate the rapidly changing world of technology and media. Steyer will be speaking with faculty and students at Marymount at length as a part of his visit.

“Marymount has a history of instilling values in its students in conjunction with an excellent education,” said Lyn Shirvanian, Marymount middle school division head. “The Marymount Ethics Program is designed to help students learn to make good decisions regardless of how the landscape changes — one of the most valuable things a school can provide.”

— Molly Seguel is the director of admissions for Marymount of Santa Barbara.