Attorney General Todd Rokita expresses support for Congressional hearings addressing dangers of social media among youth
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita joined a bipartisan coalition of 52 Attorneys General expressing strong support for the hearings being conducted by the U.S. Senate Committee addressing protection and safety of kids and teens using social media. Concerns have grown with the recent research from Facebook’s own internal studies showing that social media is inflicting harm—in the form of increased mental distress, bullying, suicide, and other self-harm—on a significant number of kids.
“A top priority of mine is to protect Hoosiers from harm, this includes mental distress,” said Attorney General Todd Rokita. “All of us need to work together to put a stop to Facebook using algorithms which exploit younger audiences, leading to increased suicidal ideation, self-harm, and bullying. I am not alone in believing the well-being of our youth is at stake.” Attorney General Rokita continued. “This issue impacts our children and future generational leaders.”
The letter, which will be entered into the Congressional record, recognizes the hearings will uncover critical information about the business practices that social media companies are using to gain the attention of more young people on their platforms. Last week, in advance of the Congressional hearings, Facebook announced their intent to “pause” the project. The attorneys general believe the project should be abandoned altogether. The Attorneys General write that “More engagement by the user equals more data to leverage for advertising, which equals greater profit. This prompts social media companies to design their algorithms and other features to psychologically manipulate young users into a state of addiction to their cell phone screens.”
“Pop-up” COVID testing site in Ellettsville
Today until Saturday, October 9th, the Ellettsville Christian Church will host a “Pop-up” COVID test site and Vaccination Clinic for those interested. Testing options include PCR and Rapid, while vaccination options include those manufactured by Pfizer as well as those made by Johnson and Johnson. The facility is located at 731 E Independence St, Ellettsville, IN 47429.
Safeguarding Indiana is focus of upcoming cybersecurity summit
The first Indiana Statewide Cybersecurity Summit on Oct. 18 will bring together researchers and leaders in cybersecurity from Indiana University, Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame. This virtual event will connect cybersecurity experts and thought leaders across the state, expanding discussions of the ways academia, the private sector, civil society and the public can work more closely to address cyber threats in the state and beyond. Featured speakers include Dan Coats, a former U.S. senator and former U.S. director of national intelligence, and Meredith Harper, Chief Information Security Officer for Eli Lilly and Co. Registration is available online.
“Cybersecurity is central to economic competitiveness and national security, and Indiana’s universities continue to undertake groundbreaking research in this area and provide interdisciplinary cybersecurity training for students,” said Scott Shackelford, associate professor of business law and ethics at the IU Kelley School of Business, executive director of the Ostrom Workshop and chair of IU’s Cybersecurity Risk Management Program. “We are excited to partner with Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame to highlight the cutting-edge cybersecurity research taking place throughout the state and to discuss new opportunities for research collaboration.”
This week in Indiana History
1946 – Ernest M. Viquesney died in Spencer, Indiana. A talented artist, he became best known as a sculptor. His most famous work is a statue titled “The Spirit of the American Doughboy,” which depicts a World War I soldier in full battle uniform. One of the most popular statues in American history, it was mass produced and at one time was found at over 300 locations across the country, most often in parks and county courtyards. It is still standing in 11 Indiana cities, including Evansville, Attica, New Castle, Muncie, Peru, and the sculptor’s hometown of Spencer,