200 groups push Senate to vote on Kids Online Safety Act in 2024

NBC News, December 6, 2023

More than 200 organizations sent a letter urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to schedule a vote on the Kids Online Safety Act first thing in January when Congress reconvenes. The bill known as KOSA, which was reintroduced in May 2023, seeks to create liability, or a “duty of care,” for apps and online platforms that recommend content to minors that can negatively affect their mental health. The measures in the bill could affect social media sites like Facebook or messaging apps like Discord.

Digital Distractions in Class Linked to Lower Academic Performance

Education Week, December 8, 2023

A majority of teenagers in the United States reported becoming distracted when using digital devices in class, and it has some correlation with their academic performance, according to results from the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment. The PISA questionnaire, which is administered to 15-year-olds every three years, asked students how often they were distracted by using digital devices during their lessons and how often they were distracted by other students as well. About two-thirds of U.S. students reported that they get distracted by using digital devices, and about 54 percent said they get distracted by other students as well. We hear from students and teachers every day how distracting these devices can be in the classroom.

Teens’ Social Media Use Remains High: What Can Parents Do?

Psychology Today, December 12, 2023

Social media use among teens is as high as ever, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center. Conducted between September 26 and October 23, 2023, the survey finds that nearly one in five teens use YouTube or TikTok “almost constantly.” Over 50% of teens are daily users of YouTube (71 percent), TikTok (58 percent), and Snapchat (51 percent). Various states have passed or proposed parental consent laws for the use of social media, and a proposal to ban TikTok continues to gain bipartisan support in Congress. Yet teens remain undeterred in their devotion to time spent on their favorite platforms.

Cheating Fears Over Chatbots Were Overblown, New Research Suggests

The New York Times, December 13, 2023

According to new research from Stanford University, the popularization of A.I. chatbots has not boosted overall cheating rates in schools. While there was a panic from schools when students first started using ChatGPT, the data suggests that those concerns may be unfounded by many in higher education.

Students say their New York school’s cellphone ban helped improve their mental health

CBS News, December 13, 2023

Ebony Clark, assistant principal at Newburgh Free Academy, says banning phones has helped cut down on online bullying. “All I’m doing is giving them the opportunity to engage in school and leave the drama outside these doors,” Clark said. A student named Monique May is happy about the school’s decision. She disclosed she sometimes felt bullied or isolated after looking at social media and that phone and social media use was entirely to blame for her mental health struggles in the past. May said she’s experienced improvements in her mental health because of Newburgh’s phone restrictions. “I’m more confident in who I am,” May said. “And I think that just comes from not being able to worry about what other people are saying about me. Just being me.”