Zach Rausch’s Post

Advice for education leaders on how to make a smooth transition to a phone free school. From Caroline Bryk laying out how a network of Jewish day schools did it. When a *group* of schools act together, it is easier and much more impactful. Coordination among parents, schools, local leaders, and camps enables entire communities to set new norms. https://lnkd.in/ews9Wmt4

We can (and should) debate about what role the population level changes in depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide are tied to social media. However, what is undeniable is that far too many children and adolescents are regularly harmed by the features and design of these platforms, and the companies are not stepping up to the plate to fix it. If any other consumer product for kids had similar issues, it would be immediately recalled and fixed. And the harms extend to young children: "In January 2018, Mr. Zuckerberg received a report estimating that four million children under the age of 13 were on Instagram, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court by 33 states." https://lnkd.in/eb6MjM9a

A statement, not by Jon Haidt, but by the U.S. Surgeon General: "Why is it that we have failed to respond to the harms of social media when they are no less urgent or widespread than those posed by unsafe cars, planes or food? These harms are not a failure of willpower and parenting; they are the consequence of unleashing powerful technology without adequate safety measures, transparency or accountability. The moral test of any society is how well it protects its children. Students like Tina and mothers like Lori do not want to be told that change takes time, that the issue is too complicated or that the status quo is too hard to alter. We have the expertise, resources and tools to make social media safe for our kids. Now is the time to summon the will to act. Our children’s well-being is at stake." https://lnkd.in/eacdvaiX

Collective action at work. Jewish day schools around the country are taking the lead, bringing their communities together, to set new and better norms around tech use at schools and in their communities. https://lnkd.in/ebN4di2J

We have long been moving into a world of increased convenience and pleasure, at the cost of strong and local tight-knit communities — which has led to profound isolation and loneliness. In this essay, I argue that we must find ways to provide children with vibrant "community-based childhoods" if we want to replace the placeless and harmful "phone-based childhood." Thank you to Seth Kaplan, who helped me understand that a play-based childhood can only emerge from a community-based childhood. https://lnkd.in/e_NBTcYb