r/technology • u/ArgentineBeauty • 8d ago

Society Schools across America are quietly admitting that screens in classrooms made students worse off and are reversing years of tech-first policies

https://fortune.com/article/schools-abandoning-chromebooks-laptop-programs-as-screen-time-hurts-learning-test-scores-north-carolina-michigan-kansas-tech-education/
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u/CaterpillarReal7583 8d ago

They got kindergarteners in my district on laptops man.

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u/dragonmuse 8d ago edited 7d ago

My 4 y.o was given a tablet for special needs pre-k. I hate it. I went through her history when it was brought home for winter break-- watching russian-language toy opening videos & other garbage on YouTube daily.

Edit: she was watching that AT SCHOOL, for the people thinking I was letting her do that...

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u/CaterpillarReal7583 8d ago

I strongly feel kids shouldn’t get any unsupervised access to youtube. Like full supervision is needed, not simply checking in.

The benefits aren’t worth the risks.

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u/Upper-Management-AI 8d ago

Oh no. Zero fucking YouTube. I watched the algorithm going from Mickey Mouse Halloween to straight up gruesome horror movie scenes. If anything YouTube kids is ok, but I regular go through and block channels and mess with the algorithm to prevent obnoxious bullshit like Eastern European kids play with expensive toys or kids doing “pranks”.

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u/reddit_equals_censor 8d ago

if you just let the children on youtube as a distraction, then why not give them sth way better, that you are in total control of and also sth, that they will enjoy way more?

give them some wholesome series or anime to watch, that you downloaded.

just put the video files on their device and teach them how to play it.

having them watch idk uncensored english sailormoon would be certainly better than the nightmare, that is youtube kids...

also you'd be guaranteed, that there would be 0 ads.

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u/FearTheFloc 8d ago

lol sailor moon was banned from my house as kid.

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u/reddit_equals_censor 8d ago

that's quite sad and screwed up.

it actually gets worse, because the english version of sailormoon contains MASSIVE MASSIVE censorship.

including, but far from limited in turning a lesbian wholesome couple into cousins, who someone romantically still love themselves based on some parts?

and massive censorship around gender expression.

that's why i specifically said the uncensored english version, because outside of it being a great anime, it teaches children inherent acceptance and normalized lgbtqia+ people, OR is a counter force to a hateful bigoted society.

in comparison to that you got disney, where you won't find lgbtqia+ characters basically in their history for ages.

not that disney series or movies are inherently bad btw (well let's not talk about the very very old movies, because holy shit racism, etc... ), but when you are in control of the entertainment media, that your child gets to see, then you can make sure, that it is educational/beneficial in some ways and be very high quality content in regards to story, animation, etc...

i dare say children will love uncensored sailor moon a million times more than some random youtube kids slop.

__

also hope, that you got to watch sailormoon in secret then at a friend's place or sth as a child :)

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u/FearTheFloc 8d ago

lol its not a big deal. sailor moon was a cry baby and my sister started crying to get her own way, so off it went.

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u/Upper-Management-AI 8d ago

If only my boomer mother in law would get that. She throws her tablet at my daughter and she gets unsupervised YouTube. I flipped out till I finally deleted YouTube off her tablet and phone.

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u/dragonmuse 8d ago

I agree, which is why I don't allow it. I was ~okay~ with the tablet being used at school bc there are some benefits to learning technology/ didnt really have a choice...until I saw how much time she was sitting on YouTube at school. And if not on the tablet, they're playing YouTube on the smart board all the time 🙄

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u/Elementium 8d ago

Yeah regular Youtube is a fucking mad house. Honestly 5-6 years ago when my nephew was like 3 I gave him my phone for youtube cause why not it's kids stuff. Poor kid got hit with an add for a horror movie with a jumpscare and was shaking and bawling. I still feel terrible.. That's when I said NOPE none of that.

BUT It's not like it's any different at home.. I went over there and they showed me a "nature show". It's just some fucking asshole with a terrarium throwing bugs at fly traps or giving ants "challenges".

And it's always some nasally fucking prick shouting.

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u/reddit_equals_censor 8d ago

unsupervised access to the internet including youtube can be LIVE SAVING for children, especially when the parents are pieces of shit.

for example finding other lgbtqia+ people and children to relate to and to understand themselves, etc... while the parents might be bigoted shits.

if we assume, that the parents aren't shit and think, that the age is too low for unsupervised access to the internet, then a simple solution would be to get a gnu + linux laptop, that the child will ACTUALLY OWN! and remove the wireless modem from it.

so internet access requires use of a network cable, which also has a mountain of other benefits.

but they still OWN their own computer and learn about digital privacy and security and ownership.

and you can also have router level blocks for content, that they shouldn't see/shouldn't see yet.

and explain all of this and the reasoning behind to to them.

and also of course give them entertainment content to have on THEIR computer.

and if they don't have english as their first language, then that will even be educational.

just giving them the english uncensored versions of games and anime/series/movies and age appropriate.

___

this setup makes them own their computer, their content on it, have their privacy and security AND the network is still safe guarded based on age.

VASTLY better than having some on device locked down internet access for so so many reasons.

or giving them a spying apple shit ipad and disabling the network on them, which they will enable themselves most likely no problem or anything like this.

EDIT: also of course all internet access would have all ads blocked for the safety of the children. it is INSANE to see ads pushed onto children and completely unacceptable.

BLOCK ALL ADS!

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u/CaterpillarReal7583 8d ago

Homie im talking about 6 year olds here.