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Kangaroo Hearing: Congress & Technology CEOs
This last week’s congressional hearing and grilling of Tech CEOs provides another example of a theatrical performance by the United States Congress. The hearing involved confronting the Tech CEOs with regard to harm for children, particularly public safety and sexual exploitation.
Parents held signs with pictures of their children who have been victims of sexual exploitation. The small crowd of victims dictated the tone of the hearing. When Senator Lindsey Graham told the CEOs they had “blood on their hands,” the audience applauded. This is the same senator who, along with other senators, refuses to regulate the sale of powerful weapons, which have killed thousands of children in schools. In Texas, the Uvalde shooter was 18 years old and purchased an AK-47. The seller cannot be sued by Indiana state law.
The hypocritical senators insisted the tech companies should be sued and held responsible. Didn’t we go through this with the video game industry? In a court, causality must be clear—that the games caused the actual violence. Of course, that is near impossible to prove.
Nor did the kangaroo hearing point out the tremendous benefits of social media. Teens are pretty familiar with internet/social use. According to Pew Research, 32% of teens said social media had a positive impact on them such as feeling connected—an incredibly important variable for teens. Further, Pew reports 59% of teens indicated that social media had no impact on them—positive or negative. Yet, they also report experiencing the drama and social extreme reactions including being excluded. Thus, despite public safety dangers, most teens seem pretty sanguine about social media.
Perhaps the problem might be the pre-teen ages, 11 and 12. It is probably too late for the argument they should not be allowed to use social media because they are too young and immature. No matter what is done, pedophilia, bullying, stalking and illicit/illegal activity will not go away. Should we try to do better for online platforms? Of course! Just as what I have written regarding suicide; we will never stop suicide, but it is our moral obligation to try with every effort and program that we can.
So how about a comprehensive solution because bashing the tech CEOs is not the best answer. Certainly, insisting Mark Zuckerberg apologize won’t solve the problem, though it would hopefully help address parental grief. We can’t count on Congress—they will just regulate in response to parental and societal pressure while they grandstand.
Rather than after the fact responses, what about preventative programs? Many communities require law enforcement professionals go into schools to address and inform youth of public safety issues of drugs or suicide. This can be expanded starting at the important age of 10 or 11 with regard to overall internet use. The underlying principle is to teach younger children that not everything you see on the internet is true. From this would be comprehensive school safety programs for internet dangers of pedophiles, bullying, violence, drug use and everything else—especially what to do (think triggers) when one encounters social media danger.
If the tech CEOS of Meta, X, Instagram, SnapChat and YouTube were smart, they would fund a social policy institute. From that structure, they could disburse funds to school districts which would implement preventative programs starting at the 4th or 5th grade. I can’t imagine any parent or teacher not in favor of such an approach. Imagine further the discussion material available for the classroom and with parents. Perhaps it can even help bring our communities together and depolarize our society.
Preventive programs can backfire. You end up with more of the problem when you focus on it because kids are so suggestible. We need to focus on healthy alternatives instead. By healthy I don't mean vegetables, I mean hobbies that build self-direction and self-agency. More on my parenting page https://innermammalinstitute.org/parentsteachers/ Especially my podcast episode on "Anti-Bullyism" https://www.spreaker.com/episode/anti-bullyism-makes-things-worse--42125475
Preventative programs are a must given the stigma associated with conversations related to a child’s mental health and social media’s impact. Children are reluctant to speak about their experiences as it is; add to that other concerns related to mental health (anxiety, OCD, intrusive thoughts, etc.) and they likely will remain silent. Unless they become comfortable with the conversations that preventative programs could offer, which would encourage dialogue between children and professionals as well as children and their peers.
We cannot allow tech CEO’s to police themselves, they will err on the side of the financial bottom line. Therefore, legislators should legislate and write laws and procedures that look out for children and others who enter the vast wasteland of the Internet. I love how you went right after the gun manufacturers, you like most liberals are anti 2nd amendment. In addition powerful tech CEO’s like Zuckerberg should not be allowed to donate 400 million dollars to effect the out come of elections. I know he got around election law by giving to two non profits. Loopholes, and disgraceful.
Dr. Mazzucelli, I share your notable concern on the topic of gun violence and assault weapon accessibility issues; even with such regulatory policies being passed, I am afraid that bad actors wanting access to such weapons will still possess them. I believe identifying and mitigating the flow of such weapons, namely those that illegally flow in through our borders, should be considered when looking at this problem. One person killed and 20 others shot is insane, unacceptable, and should be a beckoning call for policy-makers and public policy experts to develop and provide thought leadership towards sensible gun-reform type policies that honor our right to bear arms via the 2nd Amendment, but also addresses the obvious risk associated with certain type of weapons being actively sold. As details of the investigation unfold, my heart and prayers are with the families of those impacted by this heinous attack, which some may even argue could be seen as terroristic.
The violence in Kansas City on Saint Valentine’s Day speaks tragically, yet again, to what is required immediately in Congress: namely, the call by citizens of all ages for stronger regulation on the sale of assault weapons. Young Americans are particularly vulnerable in situations of gun violence, which threaten the safety of all in a community. The potential of social media to disseminate educational materials encouraging citizen support for limits on high-capacity magazines as well as robust background checks may be constructively tapped. The creative articulation of “voice” by citizens that urges Congressional legislation to ban assault weapons as a “proventive” measure requires the highest priority in agenda setting looking ahead at the start of 2024.
