Republican lawmakers are proposing blocking kids from accessing social media in schools that receive federal broadband subsidies.
Republican lawmakers are proposing blocking kids from accessing social media in schools that receive federal broadband subsidies.
Honestly, I’m generally okay with this. As long as they don’t push some other agenda along with it.
Social media is, generally, toxic. There are areas that are not but the algos most commercial social media outlets use for engagement are just bad for everyone.
Cutting kids off from social media is all about cutting them off from outside information and support. We desperately need a bill of rights for kids, it’s tragic how many people are fine with treating them like property.
Many abusive parents already control all of their kids’ time outside of school, and for some, the only place to find understanding & support is in forums like r/raisedbynarcissists or LGBT spaces.
Like adults, kids are informed by social media, and if we want to improve their mental health we need to actually address the problems they learn about there, instead of simply preventing them from learning about the real world.
Things like our unwavering march toward an unlivable climate, the malign growth of oppressive, theocratic, authoritarian movements in many governments around the world, the crushing inequitable grind of capitalist culture, or just the ignorant / abusive / bigoted mindset of many fellow citizens are all bad for anyone’s mental health, but they need to be understood accurately to be addressed.