“Nudify” Apps Spark Outrage and More This Week
Plus: Schools cracking down on student phones, new laws to hold platforms accountable, and fresh studies on teen relationships with technology.
December 12, 2024
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Plus: A Snapchat lawsuit and more AI concerns. Here’s this week’s roundup of must-know stories for parents.
College Students Increasingly Unable to Read Entire Books
College professors are pointing out a concerning trend where even students at top universities struggle to read entire books, highlighting a gap in high school preparation.
Competition with screen time and an increasing reliance on studying excerpts in high school (due to a focus on improving standardized testing scores) are likely the lead contributors.
The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books | The Atlantic
Zipper Swiping For TikTok
Teens are snatching zippers off Nike Elite backpacks to gain popularity on TikTok.
Sparked by a viral NYC post, the trend now has over 26 million hashtags. Some even resell the zippers.
Schools are warning parents, as the fad disrupts students and leaves backpacks zipperless in public places.
Teens Are Stealing Nike Elite Backpack Zippers for TikTok Clout | Vice
California Cracks Down on Classroom Screens
California’s new law mandates school districts to create policies restricting student smartphone use by July 1, 2026, aiming to reduce distractions and mitigate social media’s mental health impact.
Supporters say it will enhance focus and social interaction, while critics raise concerns about emergency communication and the burden on teachers having to enforce the law.
Teaching Kids Online Safety on Roblox
Google and Roblox have teamed up and launched “Be Internet Awesome World,” a new Roblox game aimed at teaching kids all about internet safety.
The game covers phishing, passwords, and kindness.
Ironically, the initiative unfolds on a platform often criticized for safety concerns, raising questions about whether Roblox itself is suitable for such lessons.
Google wants to teach your kids about internet privacy with this new Roblox game | Android Police
Are Tracking Apps Being Misused by Parents?
As digital tools for monitoring children become the norm, some experts warn that parental surveillance could harm trust and communication.
Many parents rely on GPS tracking for peace of mind, but some argue this could be misused to undermine children’s independence and hinder their ability to develop self-reliance.
Parents are finding new ways to monitor their kids. But some experts are concerned | CBC
Governor Newsom Vetoes Ambitious AI Safety Bill
California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed S.B. 1047, an AI safety bill mandating testing and kill switches for large AI systems, citing its focus on big models and potential harm to innovation.
The decision has sparked controversy, with some experts warning of AI risks, while others argue the bill overreaches.
California Governor Vetoes Sweeping A.I. Legislation | The New York Times
Snapchat Faces Lawsuit Over Sextortion Risks
Generative AI is facilitating nonconsensual, sexually explicit imagery of children on a large scale.
A report from the Center for Democracy and Technology shows 15% of high schoolers encountered deepfakes involving their peers.
With AI tools, creating and circulating such images has become easier, with schools largely unprepared to address the issue.
Snap Failed to Warn Users About Sextortion Risks, State Lawsuit Alleges | The Wall Street Journal
Sexually Explicit AI Deepfakes On The Rise
A growing number of U.S. adults are turning to TikTok for news, increasing from 3% in 2020 to 17% in 2024.
Among those under 30, 39% regularly use TikTok for news.
Currently, 52% of TikTok users get news there, surpassing Facebook users but still behind X.
High School Is Becoming a Cesspool of Sexually Explicit Deepfakes | The Atlantic
Other Headlines
- A test case of the AI frenzy | Financial Times
- Why Threads is opening up to other social networks | The Washington Post
- ‘Comfortable, fun, familiar’: Why Microsoft is trying to turn its AI chatbot into a digital friend | CNN
- Shh, ChatGPT. That’s a Secret. | The Atlantic
Did we miss anything?
Let us know in the comments below.
Author Jackie Baucom
Jackie is a Gabb staff writer. She is the mother of four children and is passionate about keeping kids safe, happy, loved, and thriving. She has a degree in Mass Communication from the University of Utah.
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