Connecticut students call for tougher social media regulations amid school threats
Dozens of schools across the state closed this week due to threats. Now, students themselves are calling for new online protections.
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Students are calling for tighter restrictions on social media companies amid a wave of online school threats across Connecticut.
Bridgeport, Torrington and Bristol schools all closed on Friday. Since the school year began, threats have forced approximately two dozen schools to close.
“HARMFUL STUFF”
Tiranke Keita has had a phone since she was 9 years old. She’s only in eighth grade but has already seen some dangerous things on social media.
“People doing harmful stuff to people, like pulling hair, doing all that, stabbing stuff,” she said.
On Friday, Keita and her classmates at Barnard Environmental Science and Technology School in New Haven told lawmakers they want more protections from social media apps.
“They do anything they can to keep the user’s attention. They have hundreds of thousands of algorithms just meant to track user data and keep users’ attention,” said student Omar Mushtaq. “Social media companies, I think we've all learned from the last couple few years, only care about their bottom line and getting money into the door.”
KIDS ONLINE SAFETY ACT
Sen. Richard Blumenthal wants to let younger users opt-out of those algorithms.
The Kids Online Safety Act would require social media platforms to exercise a “duty of care” to prevent bullying, suicide, eating disorders and substance abuse. But this week, a House of Representatives committee stripped out those provisions, replacing them with more generic wording – “promotion of inherently dangerous acts that are likely to cause serious bodily harm, serious emotional disturbance or death.”
Blumenthal has concerns about the changes.
“The Senate passed a stronger bill – by a 91-3 margin – and I hope that the House will look to the Senate bill,” he said.
Others worry that the new language could lead to censorship on social media.
“Doesn’t all political speech induce some kind of emotional distress for those who disagree with it? I say things in here all the time, and my colleagues show severe emotional distress over it,” said Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas). “I really don't see how changing algorithms is going to save your kids, either from harmful content or online bullying. So I do not want to sell parents a false bill of hope here.”
After stalling for two years, the Kids Online Safety Act could finally get a final vote in Congress this fall. But House and Senate negotiators would have to resolve significant differences between their versions of the bill.
SOCIAL MEDIA THREATS
Gov. Ned Lamont said stricter social media controls could prevent school threats.
“Most of the threats are young people reposting something and maybe they think they're being funny,” he said. “They’re not. It's serious. We have to respond to each and every one of them.”
Lamont is pushing school districts to restrict phones in schools. At Barnard, devices must be sealed in locked Yondr pouches.
Keita said she spends up to four hours a day on TikTok, but she supports the policy.
“I feel like it gives us more of a focus on what we’re working on in school, and socialize with other students around us,” she said.
