The RYM Podcast is brought to you by Reformed Youth Ministries. Since 1972, RYM has sought to reach and equip youth for Christ. This podcast aims to equip youth leaders, pastors and parents with the same desire. For more information on RYM’s summer youth conferences, training offerings and resources, visit rym.org.
Episodes
Monday Feb 19, 2024
Monday Feb 19, 2024
Monday Feb 12, 2024
Monday Feb 12, 2024
Kids Online Safety Act Infographic
Northeast Youth Ministry Summit (Register Now!!!)
Bill summary[edit]
The bill is summarized by the Congressional Research Service with the following:
This bill sets out requirements to protect minors from online harms.
The requirements apply to covered platforms, which are applications or services (e.g., social networks) that connect to the internet and are likely to be used by minors. However, the bill exempts internet service providers, email services, educational institutions, and other specified entities from the requirements.
Additionally, covered platforms must provide (1) minors (or their parents or guardians) with certain safeguards, such as settings that restrict access to minors' personal data; and (2) parents or guardians with tools to supervise minors' use of a platform, such as control of privacy and account settings.
Covered platforms must also;
- disclose specified information, including details regarding the use of personalized recommendation systems and targeted advertising;
- allow parents, guardians, minors, and schools to report certain harms;
- refrain from facilitating advertising of age-restricted products or services (e.g., tobacco and gambling) to minors; and
- annually report on foreseeable risks of harm to minors from using the platform.
— Congressional Research Service summary, 118th Congress S. 1409
Criticism[edit]
The bill has been criticized by members of the "Don't Delete Art" (DDA) movement and anti-censorship groups due to the chances of increased online surveillance and heavy censorship of artists' work. Along with support from the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Coalition Against Censorship, Fight for the Future, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), and the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, DDA has encouraged people to signal their opposition through an online petition that labels KOSA as one of several "Bad Internet Bills."[5]
A letter sent to the United States Congress by Evan Greer—director of Fight for the Future—and signed by multiple civil society groups claims that KOSA could backfire and cause more harm to minors.[6][7] Fight for the Future has set up a Stop KOSA website for people to sign a petition and contact lawmakers against the bill.[8]
Interpretation of harms[edit]
Critics, including the EFF, notes that the bill's definition of harm toward minors leaves room for broad interpretation decided by the state attorneys general who are charged with enforcing the bill,[9][10] likening it to the FOSTA-SESTA bills.[11]
The conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation has written that the initial 2022 iteration of KOSA doesn't go far enough, as the bill doesn't explicitly list transgender healthcare as a harm.[12][13] The inclusion of the phrase "consistent with evidence-informed medical information"[14] could be used by attorneys general to cherry-pick anti-trans sources as justification, since there is no definition of what "evidence-based medical information" can include.[15] Senator Blackburn, co-author of the bill, has argued that some education about racism and the civil rights movement overlaps with critical race theory, which she labels a "dangerous ideology" that can inflict "mental and emotional damage" upon children.[16] She has also explicitly stated that the bill will be used to censor content involving the transgender community.[17] EFF columnist Jason Kelly states that in the framework provided by the bill, that KOSA could be used to censor education about racism in schools since it could be claimed that it impacts mental health.[18]
References[edit]
- ^ "Blackburn, Blumenthal Introduce Bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act". blackburn.senate.gov. May 2, 2023. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ "S.1409 — 118th Congress (2023-2024)". Congress.gov. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ "S.1409 — 118th Congress (2023-2024)". Congress.gov. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
(Section 11 B) In any case in which the attorney general of a State has reason to believe that an interest of the residents of that State has been or is threatened or adversely affected by the engagement of any person in a practice that violates this Act or a regulation promulgated under this Act, the State, as parens patriae, may bring a civil action on behalf of the residents of the State in a district court of the United States or a State court of appropriate jurisdiction...
S. 1409 - ^ Lorenz, Taylor (February 1, 2024). "Online safety legislation is opposed by many it claims to protect". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
- ^ Nayyar, Rhea (July 26, 2023). "Artists Call on Congress to Stop 'Bad Internet Bills'". Hyperallergic. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ "Letter: 90+ LGBTQ and human rights organizations oppose KOSA". Fight for the Future. November 28, 2022. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ Feiner, Lauren (May 2, 2023). "Lawmakers update Kids Online Safety Act to address potential harms, but fail to appease some activists, industry groups". CNBC. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ "Stop KOSA". Fight for the Future. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ Kelley, Jason (May 2, 2023). "The Kids Online Safety Act is Still A Huge Danger to Our Rights Online". Electronic Frontier Foundation. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
It will be based on vague requirements that any Attorney General could, more or less, make up.
- ^ Molloy, Parker (July 27, 2023). "Congress is About to Pass a Very Bad Internet Bill. Here's How You Can Stop It". Substack. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
The bill would enforce monitoring of anyone under the age of seventeen and give state attorneys general the power to censor content.
- ^ Philips, Sarah (July 27, 2023). "This Bill Threatens Access to LGBTQ+ Online Communities". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
Like SESTA/FOSTA, KOSA creates the aforementioned duty of care for social media companies, giving state attorneys general the power to sue sites like Instagram or Twitter if they put up content they deem "harmful" for kids and teens. With SESTA/FOSTA, we saw that tech companies preferred to shut down already-policed content about reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ identities, and sex education than risk a lawsuit.
- ^ Eckert, Jared (March 21, 2022). "How Not To Keep Children Safe Online". The Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ Philips, Sarah (July 27, 2023). "This Bill Threatens Access to LGBTQ+ Online Communities". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
KOSA's supporters might want to ignore the fact that it's a censorship bill in disguise, but the Heritage Foundation is saying the quiet part out loud. The hard-line conservative organization has openly said KOSA will help them censor the content conservatives don't want young people to have access to.
- ^ "S.1409". Congress.gov. May 2, 2023. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
Sec 3.b.2: the covered platform or individuals on the platform from providing resources for the prevention or mitigation of suicidal behaviors, substance use, and other harms, including evidence-informed information and clinical resources.
- ^ Molloy, Parker (July 27, 2023). "Congress is About to Pass a Very Bad Internet Bill. Here's How You Can Stop It". Substack. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
(In a block quote from Evan Greer) The phrase "consistent with evidence-informed medical information" does nothing to prevent that, because AGs can always find cherry-picked studies to support their wild claims. They're doing this right now. In his "emergency" order attempting to ban gender-affirming care, Missouri's attorney general cited a Swedish study that claims there is a lack of evidence to support the efficacy and safety of gender-affirming care. There is no legal definition of "evidence-based." Those are just words. This bill will absolutely allow AGs to go after platforms for recommending speech they don't like to younger users. Tying the duty of care to specific mental health outcomes is also problematic because it will lead to suppression of all discussion around those important but controversial topics.
- ^ "Why Is Critical Race Theory Dangerous For Our Kids?". U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. July 12, 2021. Archived from the original on July 2, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
While parents struggle to help their children manage the mental and emotional damage inflicted by this dangerous ideology, the left will continue to re-write our education system to fit their woke agenda—and they won't stop until CRT is in every classroom in America. I will gladly stand with Tennessee parents to demand an end to this latest, unhinged attempt to brainwash our nation's children.
- ^ "Senator appears to suggest bipartisan bill would censor transgender content online". NBC. Archived from the original on September 6, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ Kelley, Jason (May 2, 2023). "The Kids Online Safety Act is Still A Huge Danger to Our Rights Online". Electronic Frontier Foundation. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
KOSA's co-author, Sen. Blackburn of Tennessee, has referred to education about race discrimination as "dangerous for kids." Many states have agreed and recently moved to limit public education about the history of race, gender, and sexuality discrimination.
Monday Feb 05, 2024
Monday Feb 05, 2024
In this episode, Andy Crouch talks about what it means to be truly human in an age of technology overload through smartphones and social media. He gives practical wisdom on thinking Christianly in this digital age and how we can use our devices in a way that makes us whole.
Bio:
Andy Crouch is partner for theology and culture at Praxis, a venture-building ecosystem advancing redemptive entrepreneurship. His writing explores faith, culture, and the image of God in the domains of technology, power, leadership, and the arts. He is the author of five books (plus another with his daughter, Amy Crouch): The Life We're Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World, The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place, Strong and Weak: Embracing a Life of Love, Risk and True Flourishing, Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power, and Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling.
Andy serves on the governing board of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. For more than ten years he was an editor and producer at Christianity Today, including serving as executive editor from 2012 to 2016. He served the John Templeton Foundation in 2017 as senior strategist for communication. His work and writing have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time, and several editions of Best Christian Writing and Best Spiritual Writing—and, most importantly, received a shout-out in Lecrae's 2014 single "Non-Fiction."
From 1998 to 2003, Andy was the editor-in-chief of re:generation quarterly, a magazine for an emerging generation of culturally creative Christians. For ten years he was a campus minister with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Harvard University. He studied classics at Cornell University and received an M.Div. summa cum laude from Boston University School of Theology. A classically trained musician who draws on pop, folk, rock, jazz, and gospel, he has led musical worship for congregations of 5 to 20,000. He and his wife, Catherine, raised two children and live in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
Monday Jan 29, 2024
Monday Jan 29, 2024
In this episode, John welcomes Brian back to give an update on his family after the sextortion trend that took his son's life. They talk about moving forward and ways in which you can take action as a youth worker or parent.
Monday Jan 22, 2024
Monday Jan 22, 2024
In this episode Linda and John discuss youth ministry ideas in January, new Bible studies, further development of youth ministry tools, a women in ministry survey, and potential guests for future podcast episodes.
Monday Jan 15, 2024
Monday Jan 08, 2024
Monday Dec 18, 2023
Monday Dec 11, 2023
Monday Dec 11, 2023
How to Make the Most of the Parental Settings on Your Smartphone by: Andrew Noble (TGC)
Parenting a Teen? Here Are Some Tech Resources (Andrew's Newsletter)
God of All Things by: Andrew Wilson
Digital vs. Print Bibles (John Dyer)
Monday Dec 04, 2023