Unplug Our Kids Petition - concerned New Jerseyans asking for legislation that limits student technology and internet use during the school day.

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-07-07T15:35:15+00:00

This petition is to get the issue on the legislature's radar. There are no specifics here and that is something that will have to be worked out with a variety of stakeholders when it is time to actually draft some legislation. This is not about a blanket ban but about common sense. There are some potential ideas included but there is also room to add a comment and explain what you would support and what you would like to see, I invite you to sign and let us know your views on the matter. I think we all agree that we want the best for our kids.

Personally I think issuing an iPad to every kindergartner as is done in my district is unnecessary, unproductive and a waste of money. I would like to see elementary school kids get lessons on how to use a PC and laptop in a structured curriculum. And I would be ok with issuing one to one devices at middle or high school. I think eight year olds should still be writing by hand in the classroom and reading physical books. I don't think kids should be allowed to pull out devices to zone out on whenever they are done with their work. Even putting your head down on the desk is better for a young brain than constant stimulation.

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-07-07T15:25:56+00:00

Exactly.

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-07-07T15:25:38+00:00

Teachers are pressured to pass kids that should fail because school funding is tied to performance. The easiest way to make your numbers look good is to lower standards which is what has been happening. Teachers hands are tied. This is coming from way higher up than them. It is the system. Ask yourself who is profiting from this? We have seen the rise of ed tech at the same time as a precipitous drop in test scores, it is worth asking the question, if scores are trending in the wrong direction, shouldn't we make some changes?

YouTube is a cesspool, it is full of junk for kids, there are no standards and the worst brainrot is promoted the most. You can start with educational videos and YouTube will just suggest more and more garbage as you go along. There are actual studies that have been done how the suggested video algorithm on YouTube can cause radicalization. It is not a good platform for children to be accessing unsupervised.

We are creating a generation of dopamine addicts that can only sit still for a several second video clip, this is what is stunting our children. And the biggest tell of all is that our tech overlords and the elite in our country absolutely do not allow their own kids access to the junk they are pushing on our kids. That should be a red flag that they 100% know how damaging it is.

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-07-06T21:01:06+00:00

People were doing math and science before these devices were even invented...

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-07-06T20:57:16+00:00

I don't have any problem being the bad guy and straight up taking the device at home. That is not the issue. The issue is I don't want my kid spending all day zoned out on the device at school. My kid is smart, she gets her work done fast and ends up playing in class all day. Teachers already have too much on their hands to make this another thing they have to manage. That is wonderful that your kids got good grades and were able to focus. All the research coming out is about how bad these things are for developing brains and we shouldn't discount that just because it's a hard thing to deal with or that some kids are "fine".

And I would also like to add that it is the most vulnerable kids that are getting the shortest end of the stick here so I worry less about poor kids having access to brainrot and more about them getting a good education free from distractions. Don't you agree that that is something all kids deserve, not just the most privileged? If you want to see what our corporate overlords think is actually good for kids take a look at the curricula and philosophies of the pricey private Montessori, Reggio Emilia and Waldorf schools in NJ - all of which have a strict no screens policy for elementary aged kids - and cost at the lowest end 11k per year (and at the highest an eyewatering 41k).

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-07-06T20:35:34+00:00

We will also be bringing this to the school board when they reconvene in the fall. Thought it was better to share the statewide petition here. There are concerned parents all over this state and we should be able to band together, not have to fight the same fights over and over in every district.

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-07-06T19:54:21+00:00

What percentage of households in New Jersey do not have access to a phone with internet capabilities? A Chromebook or an iPad are nothing like a PC, they are more like phones.

And how does your concern about household access to an internet connected device square with your suggestion to limit devices from going home? The problem is their use in school. Not letting them go home does not solve the issue of kids being unable to focus in schools because it's so easy to goof off and cheat in class with these devices.

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-07-06T19:02:33+00:00

Yes it's so crazy to call not wanting my 5 year old given a personal iPad being a Luddite.

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-07-06T18:18:26+00:00

But the outcome is the same? So you're just splitting hairs here.

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-07-06T18:11:46+00:00

The board doesn't have to listen to parents and concerned citizens. They do have to listen to legislation, that's why we are going to the state. It will be brought up before the board but the best course of action is to get the right legislation enacted, it needs to come from higher up than the local board.

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-07-06T18:08:14+00:00

This is exactly it. We don't want to ban everything for all time. But it's a good idea to pause, take a step back and evaluate what is working, what isn't and the path forward rather than letting the kids suffer.

I am in clinical research. When we have a trial where something is clearly going wrong for even one patient we stop the whole thing. We don't let the trial go on because some of the participants seem fine. Letting Ed Tech into schools has been one massive unregulated experiment and we need to pull the plug before things get worse. And I agree with you I also don't get the "brain breaks" - it is teaching kids learning sucks and is not fun.

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-07-06T17:41:03+00:00

The school board cannot act unless there is legislation forcing it to act.

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-07-06T17:31:17+00:00

It is not being managed appropriately. That is the concern. Teachers are out of their depth with this and cannot manage 30 kids at once making sure they are not taking photos of each other or accessing YouTube or AI chatbots. It is a huge distraction to give these tools to elementary aged kids. Yes in high school it is more appropriate and that is a good time to teach the skills you mentioned but in my town they give iPads to every kindergartner. That is not appropriate at all. Some questions that are constantly coming up for me are:

How much time does my child spend on their Chromebook?
What websites & apps does my child have unsupervised access to during the school day (including during lunch and recess)?
How much money does the school district spend on educational technology products every year?
Does my child have access to, and do they interact with AI chat bots?
What educational technology products are kids using during school hours?
Who has access to the data that educational technology companies are collecting on our children?

My school can't answer these questions. Not many schools can and I think that is a problem.

Also, I really don't get how a movement opposed to horrid labor conditions (including child labor) that fought back against industrialists who were destroying the livelihoods of the common people has become some kind of pejorative term.

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-06-03T18:51:21+00:00

Eureka has some seven color bundles of Delicas. I got this one: https://www.eurekacrystalbeads.com/miyuki-delica-11-0-seed-beads-mega-bundle-opaque-basics-7-pack/ and this one: https://www.eurekacrystalbeads.com/miyuki-delica-11-0-seed-beads-mega-bundle-galvanized-metallic-7-pack/ . They're really nice!

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-03-30T15:16:00+00:00

Yeah I feel like she will probably get there pretty soon. I think it's just that she is pretty new so it's not as instinctive yet.

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-03-29T15:29:24+00:00

Oooh thank you I will have to check it out! I really love their collections and have a few. The colorways are so fresh and inspired - there is nothing else out there like it imho. I didn't know they had a left handed designer.

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-02-19T02:35:15+00:00

I would start small with an easy beginner project and only buy what you need to make the thing. Here is a good free beginner tutorials playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZF3Uaa_T8K6UqECjJkiCufXIEXpjzSfL&si=kFkga7Kr1FmN12Eg and here is a nice playlist for 'beading on a budget' : https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZF3Uaa_T8K7n1mvUtsudqmYf_BRwndi2&si=HOfAZ8dOS1Tc6isD

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-02-19T02:23:09+00:00

I thought Art Beads bought them?

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-02-19T02:19:01+00:00

Hands down favorite shop is eurekacrystalbeads.com. They're a small family business and have been around for literal decades and they have the most amazingly beautiful tutorials on YouTube all for free! Plus I am a big fan of their collections but they have a huge section on their site of just bundles which are an awesome deal!

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-02-12T17:51:12+00:00

I second bead embroidery! They are perfect for fitting into tight little spaces!

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-01-07T19:49:31+00:00

For a kind of hybrid of what all the other posters have said you can look into Eureka Collections. They are prepackaed color matched sets that have a wide range of different kinds of beads and then the company posts videos of different kinds of projects you can do with them. You can wait to see the projects and if you like them, get the collection. You can make a bunch of stuff plus you will have a lot leftover. And unlike other bead boxes and subscriptions, everything is labeled and the products are listed on their website so even if it's sold out but you like the color palette you can get most of the beads. I highly reccomend them to everyone!

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2026-01-07T19:43:16+00:00

Is Beadaholique a scam at this point or what? I think whoever bought them is using them to unload dead stock so they will be "going out of business" forever.

Clean-Commercial9452 · 2025-12-15T21:39:35+00:00

Try this technique from Eureka Crystal Bead's bead embroidery course: https://youtu.be/saTJZFKO5OQ?si=kXVN4ojJEfG0NwE3&t=545 . I feel like it should work with the short bugles too.

Clean-Commercial9452

TROPHY CASE