OREGON OBSERVATIONS 19 JANUARY 2023

Families joined in lawsuit targeting social media as addictive, harmful to teens. While I’m rooting for the families to win their case, let’s remember it’s not ALL about the addictive social media companies. When it comes to teenagers, parents own some guilt for not enforcing a no-device policy. OK, let’s back up a couple of steps. If the parent wants their kid to carry a phone for safety – to be able to contact their parents or emergency services in case something goes wrong, buy them a device whose function is limited to phone calls. No access to the internet, because therein lies the problem. Access to the internet (along with social media sites) allows them to be cool ’cause all their friends are out there. It’s like putting the teenager in a room full of temptation, where they say they’ll only watch. They see all the other kids doing it. Next thing you know, they’re knee-deep in Tik-Tok (which has been called digital fentanyl, BTW) or whatever site is the flavor of the day, and where there’s a good chance they’ll become a target of bullying at some point, with all its negative ramifications. Kudos to the parents who spent their child’s formative years instilling positive moral values in them.

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