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Committee discusses state social‑media and cellphone proposals; members split on benefits and privacy risks
Summary
Committee members reviewed recent state activity to set a 14‑year minimum age for social media and possible school cell‑phone limits; speakers noted Wakefield's local policies, expressed support for students' mental health, and raised privacy, equity and implementation concerns including data‑collection risks.
Members of the Wakefield School Committee discussed recent state legislative activity that would set a minimum age of 14 for social‑media use and could include restrictions on in‑school cell‑phone usage.
Alex summarized the state action and said the bill has returned to the Senate with an age restriction component. Committee members described Wakefield's existing local policies and programming (Parent University) and suggested the district could contribute educational resources to help families navigate digital use.
Several members voiced concern about the proposal’s implementation and data privacy implications. One committee member warned the measure could become "Big Brother tracking," arguing that required parental IDs and data collection could create additional privacy and security risks. Others stressed potential equity and disability accommodations and cautioned against one‑size‑fits‑all mandates, noting that local districts already create policies tailored to their student populations.
Committee members agreed to monitor state action closely, consider bringing the topic to a future agenda for extended discussion, and continue to use student and parent voices to shape local approaches.
