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House lawmakers in Pennsylvania on Monday passed legislation aimed at creating statewide standards for social media literacy, seeking to teach students about both the benefits and risks of using digital platforms and smartphones.The bill does not mandate a specific curriculum but directs the Pennsylvania State Board of Education to develop materials that help students better understand how they interact with technology and how it can affect their well-being, both positively and negatively.Charles Palmer, an interactive media associate professor at Harrisburg University, said many young people do not fully grasp the consequences of their online behavior.Palmer noted that posting embarrassing images of classmates or unintentionally sharing personal information could expose them to cyberbullying or exploitation by scammers.“There are a lot of things involved in this outside of just the screen time, which is important, but we have to think about the whole experience,” Palmer said.Supporters say the legislation gives kids and teenagers a better idea of how to safely use social media.“Not every parent is tech savvy on these types of things and doesn’t know what’s going on. I have three kids. They’re teenagers. I don’t know everything that’s going on with them. So again, it’s better to be safe than sorry and give them the information that they need,” said Rep. Jim Prokopiak, D-Bucks County, the primary sponsor of the bill.However, some lawmakers raised concerns about increased state involvement in local education. State Rep. Marc Anderson, a Republican from York County and a former educator, opposed the measure, warning it could give state agencies too much authority to review and approve local curricula, potentially undermining local control. He also raised an issue with potentially saddling teachers with extra continuing education.“I don’t believe in just continuing to add to the responsibilities of our teachers. They have enough problems during the day. They’re doing the very best they can. Why give them more to do?” Anderson said. The bill now moves to the state Senate for consideration. Meanwhile, the administration of Gov. Josh Shapiro has also introduced initiatives focused on improving students’ digital and information literacy.
House lawmakers in Pennsylvania on Monday passed legislation aimed at creating statewide standards for social media literacy, seeking to teach students about both the benefits and risks of using digital platforms and smartphones.
The bill does not mandate a specific curriculum but directs the Pennsylvania State Board of Education to develop materials that help students better understand how they interact with technology and how it can affect their well-being, both positively and negatively.
Charles Palmer, an interactive media associate professor at Harrisburg University, said many young people do not fully grasp the consequences of their online behavior.
Palmer noted that posting embarrassing images of classmates or unintentionally sharing personal information could expose them to cyberbullying or exploitation by scammers.
“There are a lot of things involved in this outside of just the screen time, which is important, but we have to think about the whole experience,” Palmer said.
Supporters say the legislation gives kids and teenagers a better idea of how to safely use social media.
“Not every parent is tech savvy on these types of things and doesn’t know what’s going on. I have three kids. They’re teenagers. I don’t know everything that’s going on with them. So again, it’s better to be safe than sorry and give them the information that they need,” said Rep. Jim Prokopiak, D-Bucks County, the primary sponsor of the bill.
However, some lawmakers raised concerns about increased state involvement in local education.
State Rep. Marc Anderson, a Republican from York County and a former educator, opposed the measure, warning it could give state agencies too much authority to review and approve local curricula, potentially undermining local control. He also raised an issue with potentially saddling teachers with extra continuing education.
“I don’t believe in just continuing to add to the responsibilities of our teachers. They have enough problems during the day. They’re doing the very best they can. Why give them more to do?” Anderson said.
The bill now moves to the state Senate for consideration. Meanwhile, the administration of Gov. Josh Shapiro has also introduced initiatives focused on improving students’ digital and information literacy.
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