THE ‘KIDS OFF SOCIAL MEDIA ACT’ (KOSMA) seeks to address concerns about social media and youth mental health. But does it offer an effective solution to the problem?
RESEARCH LINKS
Issue 1: Official Language
WhiteHouse.gov: Executive Order, “Designating English as Official Language”
U.S. Census Bureau: “Most Americans Speak Only English at Home”
Linguistic Society of America: “Statement Against English as Official Language”
Cato Institute: “Immigrants Learn English: Language Acquisition Rates by Country”
Close Up Foundation: “Should the U.S. Designate an Official Language?”
Heritage Foundation: “The Need for Upholding Our National Language”
Issue 2: Kids Off Social Media Act
Congress.gov: S.278, “Kids Off Social Media Act”
The Lancet: “School Phone Policies and Their Association with Wellbeing Study”
The Verge: “Another Bill Wants to Ban Kids from Social Media”
Politico: “Bill Banning Social Media for Youngsters Advances”
OpEd: “Social Media is a Major Cause of the Mental Illness Epidemic in Teen Girls”
EdWeek Market Brief: “Fate of Far-Reaching Social Media Regulations Is Uncertain”
ITIF.org: “The Kids Off Social Media Act Misses the Mark on Children’s Online Safety”
Experian Blog: “What Is Child Identity Theft?”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Issue 1: Official Language
- Do you think that designating English as the official language of the United States encourages immigrants to learn English? Why or why not?
- Those for making English the official language of the U.S. say that establishing one shared language would foster a stronger sense of national identity and unity. Do you agree? Why or why not?
- Read the arguments for and against designating English as the official language of the U.S. in the Close Up Foundation article (link above). Where do you stand on the issue? Why? Write a paragraph or two outlining your position and summarize your arguments in bullet points.
- Does designating one language (namely English) as “official” undermine values such as inclusivity and honoring various cultural heritages? Why or why not?
- What if there was only one language spoken and written by all people across the globe? Would the world be a better place? Why or why not?
Issue 2: Kids Off Social Media Act
- The “Kids Off Social Media Act” is intended to help alleviate youth mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and suicide. Do you think the bill, if passed, would ultimately help children and teens with their mental health? Why or why not?
- Does the KOSMA bill provide the best solution to problems that may develop when youth use social media? These might include youth depression and suicide, child identity theft (see Experian link above), and other types of youth exploitation. Would you propose another solution? If so, what would that be?
- What are some of the best and worst things about using social media as a child or teen?
- How do you feel when you spend a lot of time on social media? Are there times when you wish you could stay off social media altogether? Why or why not?
- What do you think the social media platforms you use know about you? How do you feel about that?