Ouchie

When my son was a toddler, we offered countless warnings: “Don’t touch the wood burning stove. Ouchie. You will hurt yourself.” You can guess how long it took for him to burn his little hands. Ouchie.

Barring young people from buying cigarettes is not what lead to the decline in youth smoking. It was a change in culture.

Barring young people from accessing “mature” technology will not prevent them from doom-scrolling or developing unhealthy relationships with AI personalities. Congressional hearings are theater. Legislation creates temptation.

Helping our young people navigate the rapidly shifting technical landscape requires real conversation between real people. Difficult conversations. Difficult changes.

I applaud the people with influence and power who are taking steps to draw attention to these issues, but it’s on the rest of us to make real change.