Viewpoints

New Social Media Guardrails A Great Start

Two weeks ago New York State tagged new laws and provisions adding to the recent steps acknowledging the harmful effects of social media on the anxiety, depression and general mental health of our kids. The new ‘warning-labels’ do a great deal in the goal to shift the social-media activity control to parents, many of whom have complained about the lack of their ability to do anything to curb social media use by their children. The label highlights the findings of the Surgeon General. Pretty frightening for sure.

Child Data Protection

New York has passed a series of bills over the last few years targeting challenges with social media platforms when used by children. The Child Data Protection Act prevents apps from collecting or sharing personal data. The Safe For Kids Act restricts night notifications, allows Tish James, our Attorney General, latitude in seeking damages for social media violations, and in the provision we see as the most powerful, NY is the first State to ban algorithmically driven content for kids. The content delivered on social media has always been determined individually, based on what the child has viewed and engaged with. This is common in those platforms. Some say it’s for expediency, many say it’s just a faulty, business-driven addictive action. Like cigarettes, social media is being viewed as a drug, okay for adults, if they choose, but we know it’s not safe for kids. As our State legislators look to put more social media laws on the books, not only do we applaud their dedication and effort, but we stand by implementing guardrails for AI. Artificial Intelligence used the right way and taught the right way in our schools will give our kids a step up in the labor market. As soon as educators get a handle on how to teach it correctly, AI should be as staple a subject as English and Math.

Being Taylor-Greened – What Stefanik Exit Means for Gov. Race

Kathy Hochul got the Christmas present she was looking for last week as upstate Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who was supposed to give Governor Hochul a run for her money this year, bowed out. Citing needing to spend more time with her family, she also said she will not seek reelection for her congressional seat. She seemed to be a shining star on the rise, but then again, political life is not for everyone. Some suggest she saw the writing on the wall, anticipating being what some now call “Taylor-Greened,’ … a reference to how Trump ‘canceled’ Greene after she pushed for the release of the Epstein files and publicly disagreed with some of his foreign policy. What’s worse about the spat is she was always considered one of his most staunch supporters. Taylor-Greene has since stepped down from congress, saying she and her family received real threats. Stefanik was once considered for an ambassadorship to the UN, until her loyalty to Trump and the desire for Republican seats to hold the majority in the house, took precedence. Their slim margin in the house made it more important for Stefanik to stay in congress. The GOP now has Nassau County exec Bruce Blakeman as their prospective nominee. At Our Rockland County Times Holiday Party last week, even County Executive Ed Day’s name was bantered about as a candidate. 

Hochul Support Not What It Appears

The inside baseball on Governor Hochul’s support is that there is very little from her colleagues. Most are not convinced it will effect her candidacy, but she has not been getting the love when calling her assembly or Senate colleagues to come out and stump with her in their districts. Some have claimed their schedule is full when asked to appear with her in their district.

We are not sure whether it was her eventual endorsement of Mamdani for mayor that disturbed most. Most in political circles know she ‘had’ to endorse him. He had too much of a lead. More likely, her colleagues express that their expectations of her leadership after the departure of Andrew Cuomo was never realized. State legislators have become accustomed to ‘on-time’ budgets.