The public cast more than 268,000 votes to select the People’s Choice Award Winner for this year’s I Look Up Film Challenge presented by the American Institute of Architects. Of the 82 films submitted, the winner, Paul-Vincent Alexander’s A Roof of Their Own, garnered almost half the votes with 122,527 total.
A Roof of Their Own features architect, Jose Luis Henriquez, and structural engineer, Raul Hinojosa, who worked together to provide low-cost and sustainable housing systems to impoverished communities susceptible to not only poor economic standards, but inclement weather and environmental patterns. Alexander will receive an exclusive screening of the winning film at the Architecture & Design Film Festival on November 1, along with cash and distribution prizes.
Here’s a rundown of I Look Up Film Challenge honorees:
GRAND PRIZE WINNER– Myles Kramer, Community by Design: Skid Row Housing Trust
PEOPLE’S CHOICE– Paul-Vincent Alexander, A Roof Of Their Own
FIRST RUNNER UP– Brad Deal, Pisces
SECOND RUNNER UP– Julian Pham, A Little Alcove: San Francisco Navigation Center
Visit here to watch the powerful films submitted this year and to learn more about the winners.
California governor signs law to protect children from social media addiction
California will make it illegal for social media platforms to knowingly provide addictive feeds to children without parental consent beginning in 2027 under a new law Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Friday.
California follows New York state, which passed a law earlier this year allowing parents to block their kids from getting social media posts suggested by a platform's algorithm. Utah has passed laws in recent years aimed at limiting children's access to social media, but they have faced challenges in court.
The California law will take effect in a state home to some of the largest technology companies in the world. Similar proposals have failed to pass in recent years, but Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation law in 2022 barring online platforms from using users' personal information in ways that could harm children. It is part of a growing push in states across the country to try to address the impacts of social media on the well-being of children.
"Every parent knows the harm social media addiction can inflict on their children — isolation from human contact, stress and anxiety, and endless hours wasted late into the night," Newsom said in a statement. "With this bill, California is helping protect children and teenagers from purposely designed features that feed these destructive habits."
The law bans platforms from sending notifications without permission from parents to minors between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m., and between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays from September through May, when children are typically in school. The legislation also makes platforms set children's accounts to private by default.
Opponents of the legislation say it could inadvertently prevent adults from accessing content if they cannot verify their... Read More