mcc1d ago

If you are in Massachusetts please call your House representative to oppose this. The Senate ban on cell phone use in schools (not happy about that myself) has grown a monstrous ban on social media use for kids under 14, "among the most restrictive in the entire country" according to its own Democratic advocates, featuring age verification for adults and a requirement platforms "give parents access to data submitted by minors" (in other words, out every queer kid).

https://www.wcvb.com/article/mass-house-social-media-ban-children-under-14/70941188

Mass. lawmakers to vote on 'restrictive' social media ban for kids

"This ban would be among the most restrictive in the entire country," senior legislative leaders said about the proposal.

WCVB
Show threadStudio Cohort17h ago
@mcc I'm with you on the age verification laws. Those have been and always will be bad. But I'm curious why you're against a general phone ban in school?
I've generally heard positive things about them
Show threadmcc16h ago
@StudioCohort I don't see why this needs to be a state law. I think it would make more sense to let districts set their own standards. Districts will be able to tell what helps their students focus and what exceptions make sense.
Show threadmcc
@StudioCohort Laws are rigid, inflexible. Also this one has a batshit thing about an exploratory program for technology that locks out minors' phones from working during school hours. Once that technology exists there is a countdown to an oppressive government using it to shut down every phone in a city once protests start.
Apr 9 at 4:37amWeb
Show threadStudio Cohort8h ago

@mcc I see. It seems like what you all should look into then is a law like what we have here in NY. Districts have flexibility on enforcement.

And yeah that technology thing sucks and fits right in with age verification. Let's make something awful and ruin technology for everyone just to make sure 100% that kids don't have it when they shouldn't. That's the stupidest part of all of this. Lawmakers are hell bent on preventing every possible instance with no care for how it impacts everyone else