4 ms·
it's important to note that the fake panic over beepers is not related to the current concerns that kids shouldn't be on their phones all day long and at school
by zzzeek 3y ago
it's important to note that the fake panic over beepers is not related to the current concerns that kids shouldn't be on their phones all day long and at school. The former is a "fake moral panic" based on the premise that all kids were doing / selling drugs. the latter is a concern regarding mood/attention/bullying/self-esteem well established by statistics and experts (though not all experts, it's hotly debated. For parents with kids, not so much debate as it's extremely obvious).
The article refutes this: "months later The Washington Post editorial board would call on schools to ban cellphones entirely - part of a new moral panic about kids and digital devices, "
There's no "moral" panic about devices right now and this is straight up strawman. it's about mental health and learning.
- duped 3y agoSeriously, talk to a teacher about dealing with cell phone use in class. A friend relayed a story to me recently of a parent (whose child is constantly on their tablet during class) who had the audacity to respond to teachers' complaints by saying their child "shouldn't be punished for their [internet] addiction." There's no reason kids should be on smart phones during the school day at all. The only "panic" is from parents who are terrified of being more than ten seconds away from contact with their child.
- xhevahir 3y agoI think "moral panic" (to paraphrase Terry Eagleton on ideology) is like halitosis in that it's what the other person has and not oneself. Arguments that invoke it seem always to break down into finger-pointing and one-upmanship.