NEW YEAR, NEW HABITS: It is no secret that children’s mental health has been on the decline nationwide for years, coinciding with the rise of social media use. A 2019 study found that children aged 12-15 who spent three hours per day on social media were twice as likely to suffer negative mental health outcomes.
As your family thinks about New Year’s resolutions, limiting technology use could be great for parents and children alike. While setting your family goals this new year, here are some ideas of ways to unplug that you can tailor to best fit your family needs.
TIPS FOR PARENTS
OTHER NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW
SUPREME COURT AGREES TO HEAR TIKTOK CASE ON APPEAL: TikTok filed an emergency request to the Supreme Court to stop the ban of the social media app, which will take effect on January 19th if ByteDance does not divest from the app. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit recently rejected TikTok’s arguments that the law violates free speech protections. The Department of Justice has called TikTok “a national-security threat of immense depth and scale.” Read more here.
GEORGIA MOVES TO PROTECT FAIRNESS IN GIRLS’ SPORTS: Georgia lawmakers are advancing plans to ensure girls’ sports remain based on biological sex, preventing biological males from competing on women’s teams. Proposals include regulating school facilities and holding schools accountable for noncompliance. Read more here.
MONTANA SUPREME COURT BLOCKS BAN ON GENDER INTERVENTIONS FOR MINORS: The Montana Supreme Court voted to temporarily block a law that bans healthcare providers from conducting harmful gender interventions on under-18 girls and boys, pending a full trial. Read more here.
PIXAR NIXES TRANS STORYLINE IN NEW CHILDREN’S SHOW: An upcoming new Pixar children’s show, “Win or Lose,” has reportedly abandoned plans to include a storyline promoting a “trans perspective” in the show. A spokesperson for Disney says the storyline was nixed because they recognized, “parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline.” Read more here.
HARRISONBURG, VIRGINIA TEACHERS WIN IN PRONOUN POLICY DISPUTE: Teachers in Harrisonburg, Virginia secured a legal victory last week in a case which struck down a policy that compelled teachers to use students’ preferred pronouns and hide information from parents. The case is part of a growing trend where schools face challenges for prioritizing ideological policies over family involvement. Read more here.
Thanks for reading the latest edition of the American Parents Coalition’s The Lookout. If you have a troubling story to share about a school, doctor, company, or other institution working to usurp parents’ rights, please let us know by emailing us at [email protected].
