 Technology |
Technology |
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Debates brew over cellphones at school |
Schools are rolling out creative ways to crack down on students' use of phones during the school day — and the trend is fueling debates about the wisdom of such bans. |
Some schools have partnered with companies to implement the use of pouches that students are required to put their phones into at the beginning of the day and that don't unlock until the final bell rings. Others are threatening punishments including suspension if a student is caught with their phone, even at lunch time, our colleague Lexi Lonas reported. Educators appear ecstatic about getting students off their phones during class, but there are lingering concerns from both parents and children about being phoneless in emergency situations and if this is the best way to address the problem. Renesha Parks, chief wellness officer at Richmond Public Schools in Virginia, told The Hill of a pilot policy being implemented in six schools at the beginning of 2024 to stop cellphone usage, partnering with Yondr, which creates magnetic pouches for cellphones. The measure will impact around 4,200 students and cost about $75,000. "It's a very costly initiative. But we do feel like it will decrease the amount of infractions that are happening as a result of student's cellphone use and increase productivity and academic instruction in the classroom. It's worth the investment," Parks said. While she said educators in the district were thrilled with the idea, the support for it is split among parents and students. And success of the program, she said, will be judged based on feedback surveys as well as student achievement and discipline data. Read more in a full report at TheHill.com. |
Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter, we're Rebecca Klar and Julia Shapero — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. |
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How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: |
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A prominent disinformation researcher who worked at Harvard University alleged her project was thwarted and her position ended early after the university received a $500 million donation from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, according to a whistleblower disclosure released Monday. The researcher, Joan Donovan, alleged that Harvard blocked her and her team at the Shorenstein Center at the Harvard Kennedy … |
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| Spotify plans to cut about 17 percent of its workforce in the company's third round of layoffs this year, CEO Daniel Ek announced on Monday. About 1,500 employees will be impacted, based on Spotify's numbers in its third quarter earnings report. The company previously laid off about 600 workers in January and another 200 members of its podcasting division in June. "Over the last two years, we've put significant emphasis on … |
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Billionaire Richard Branson said his space travel company Virgin Galactic “should” have “sufficient funds” without his investment Saturday. "We don't have the deepest pockets after Covid, and Virgin Galactic has got $1bn, or nearly. It should, I believe, have sufficient funds to do its job on its own," Branson told the Financial Times. Branson has made a decision to not add more money to the Virgin Galactic … |
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News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: |
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23andMe says hackers stole data on 6.9M users |
Hackers stole personal data belonging to 6.9 million people — including ancestry reports, DNA data, birthdates, self-reported locations and profile pictures — from the genetic testing company 23andMe in a breach this fall, Axios reported. |
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Mastercard launches AI shopping assistant |
Mastercard is launching a "Shopping Muse," an artificial intelligence powered tool that aims to help users find personalized product recommendations, TechCrunch reported. |
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Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: |
- The Hill hosts an event Dec. 14 titled "Enhancing Energy Efficiency: How Technology is Cutting Carbon Emissions" featuring House Energy & Commerce Committee member Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), Maryland Energy Administration director Paul Pinsky and more.
- Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler, Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and more will join a Messenger event Tuesday morning on "AI: Balancing Innovation & Regulation."
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Branch out with other reads on The Hill: |
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Uber set to join the S&P 500 index in latest sign of a turnaround for the ride-hailing service |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Uber’s stock is set to join the S&P 500 index later this month, the latest sign that the ride-hailing and delivery company is turning its business around after struggling through much of the pandemic. The San Francisco company will be added to the benchmark index prior … |
NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin is once again having a moment. On Monday, the world’s largest cryptocurrency soared past $41,000 for the first time in over a year and a half — and marking a 150% rise so far this year. Volatile bitcoin rocketed from just over $5,000 at the start of the pandemic to nearly … |
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Two key stories on The Hill right now: |
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Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R) is demanding that members of the College Football Playoff committee turn over text, emails and notes related to its decision … Read more |
| Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) predicted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will leave Congress by the end of the year, following former Rep. … Read more |
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Opinions related to tech submitted to The Hill: |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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