#literally quivering in fear and rage :)) fun :))) i love tuesday night :)))

[mercifullymad]

Urgent Call to Oppose KOSA

(Update to this post, where I explain in more detail why KOSA is harmful, not helpful, to children)

On May 2, 2023, KOSA was re-introduced to Congress by its authors, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). Though some of the wording has been modified slightly to be more specific as compared to the previous version of the bill, the most egregious and dangerous parts remain – namely, the fact that it will come down to state attorneys general to decide what content on social media sites does and does not “prevent and mitigate” outcomes like anxiety, depression, bullying, and more.

It’s important to be clear about how nebulous concepts like “bullying,” “anxiety,” and “depression,” are defined by the bill’s co-author, Sen. Blackburn, and how they will be similarly defined by other conservative politicians. Sen. Blackburn has a page on her website criticizing the “mental and emotional trauma” that “Critical Race Theory” causes white children. She states that “CRT actively encourages discrimination” and illustrates this claim with an anecdote of a racist mother “left with no choice but to put her seven-year-old in therapy” because her child was “depressed” by learning she was white. Using telling phrasing, Sen. Blackburn conveys her beliefs that education about racism makes “parents struggle to help their children manage the mental and emotional damage inflicted by this dangerous ideology” (bolding added). Tennessee’s governor has already signed a bill that withholds funding from any schools teaching about “systemic racism” and “white privilege.” If KOSA passes, Tennessee will be able to ban children from learning about racism not only in schools, but also on online platforms, by arguing that this content causes “mental and emotional damage” and “depression” in children. For Sen. Blackburn and other conservative politicians, any information about racism and queerness can be blamed for causing children “distress” and thus can be prohibited from children’s access.  

If you are a U.S. citizen, please call and/or email your representatives and ask them to oppose KOSA. The EFF has a very simple form for doing so, with a pre-written template (ideally, alter some of the language to make the message your own). It is quick and easy, and it is important to do so now, because KOSA’s supporters want it to be pushed through Congress as quickly as possible. Please also urge the mental health and eating disorder organizations supporting KOSA (such as Project Heal, the Eating Disorder Coalition, and the National Alliance for Eating Disorders).

Children deserve to be truly protected. Not trapped, surveilled, and further harmed by their state governments.