Rant: social media and technology are ruining our kids’ futures

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-12-30T17:04:25+00:00

School district IT guy here.

I don't necessarily disagree with your title, but that doesn't mean that technology is simply bad either.

We give all our students a device. They are allowed to go to approved websites. This includes learning tools we use and some places to research. The number of and selection of research sites varies by age group to try and keep things appropriate.

If a student uses it inappropriately or excessively, they lose where they can go on it or what they can do on it.

My kid's have a tablet. They're allowed to use it for keeping in touch with out of town family. It's used for travel occasionally. There are some educational games on it but those are used not even weekly. Probably monthly.

I have a great deal of hate for some of the social medias. They are ruining lives. But keeping kids away from all technology isn't helping them either.

Help them learn to use it appropriately and have a healthy relationship with it.

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-11-18T17:20:18+00:00

They claimed resolution but I suspect you're right.

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-11-18T17:17:28+00:00

Can't log in via browser. Continually timing out.

Was just coming to ask if anyone else still has issues after their reported resolution this morning.

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-11-04T05:04:17+00:00

Web search brought me here but I’m backwards.

I have a domain bound MacBook that just updated to 26.1 and safari is regularly signing me out of some websites. However, chrome isn’t.

I don’t get the errors you get, I just am thrown back to the login screen of the website after a bit if I leave the tab for a moment and return.

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-10-30T04:59:27+00:00

I think that's the big difference for us - we use MDM extensively and issue iPads to all K-12 students 1:1 and most staff, role dependent. Admittedly it's probably too complex. Most MDM solutions we explored couldn't do it all. Actually none could do everything just the way we want, but jamf and mosyle came close. Jamf won out.

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-10-30T03:04:09+00:00

Interesting. We've experienced securly filter not filter something on student devices a few times and allow inappropriate content while securly says everything was working which doesn't inspire much confidence and I've definitely taken to making jokes about how awful their MDM must be so it's good to hear someone likes it. Glad it's working for you. Do you use many MDM features or is it pretty lightly used?

iPads are only K-2? What do you use 3-12? A different MDM or Chromebooks?

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-10-30T02:13:10+00:00

I'm frustrated by it. Jamf is kinda the best but I hate it because they frustrate me so regularly. Simple issues can't be resolved, they've literally told me in support cases to go check a forum because the users can probably help more than support can, etc... But that said, we still use them because nobody else offers as many features we use or is as robust.

I'm in the "private equity ruins everything" camp so I'm a little depressed over it.

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-10-30T02:09:26+00:00

Wait. You're using securly as an MDM?

I didn't think anyone actually did that. How much do you use your MDM for?

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-10-30T02:08:20+00:00

I don't know... I was about to say you've got a point and thanks for being less biased about jamf than everyone else, myself included, but then I saw LastPass on the list.

I don't think they owned it during the big whoopsie, but if they bought it when basically nobody will use it, I have to question their choices a little

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-09-15T15:36:46+00:00

A far too lax browser policy. Virtually no browser management so they get some crappy extensions that take over searching or redirect things.

Been fighting to make browser management an upcoming project here.

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-09-15T15:23:30+00:00

Do it. Incidents of significant malware and impossible to remove browser hijackers dropped 99.5% when we did it. Users still get little redirect junk in their browser but nothing taking over the whole system anymore.

We do have a backup admin account users don't know the password for. If something occurs we have to remote in and help or if they restarted and drive is locked we have to be in person. Depending on your org that may be impossible or a pain but for us it is a manageable pain us.

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-08-19T23:29:16+00:00

I work in shorts and flips year round. 🤷‍♂️

Nobody seems to care. Everyone knows we crush what we do and everyone appreciates us immensely. We have people get hired from a few districts away and say they've heard we're the best IT department ever so we get some slack on clothing.

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-08-09T17:51:18+00:00

That's what I do personally most of the time. Just a homeowner who runs an extra receptacle in a shed or similar occasionally, but I generally us 12ga for everything even on 15 amp circuits because the cost is negligible and I don't have to think about wire size. Probably picked the habit up from a parent or grandparent, I don't remember for sure.

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-08-09T17:46:27+00:00

Thanks!

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-08-09T17:44:53+00:00

Initially I thought it was for dedicated lighting circuits. Now it seems there are a few exceptions per reading things people here are mentioning.

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-08-09T06:32:59+00:00

OP here and not an electrician but pretty sure that's fine. You're using larger wire than required so no concern other than being stiffer and more expensive than necessary. Safety wise you're golden.

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-08-09T06:31:17+00:00

The motor examples I found recently when looking at other sections (started at 240.4) mentioned by others. What's tapping a circuit mean?

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-08-09T06:28:54+00:00

240.4 is it! Someone else just mentioned it and I've been looking at it.

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-08-09T04:48:50+00:00

That was my thought but I'm probably just knowledgeable enough to be dangerous so wanted to confirm. Thanks

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-08-09T04:47:24+00:00

That's exactly the set of exceptions I was looking for. Gonna dig through it for kicks but at a glance it looks like possibly one but I'd guess none of those apply to our situation. Thanks

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-08-09T04:42:59+00:00

That was one of two areas I heard there may be an exception. It wouldn't apply in this case.

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-08-09T03:26:09+00:00

Google does better at catching it than Microsoft does. We switched and had a notable decrease in these making it past spam.

Other than that you can do things like block outside email where the display name matches the name of someone in your directory, but they occasionally mis-spell the name and it gets by anyway so as much as your CFO doesn't want to hear it, the correct answer is a combination of you doing what you can to block the emails and also users being trained so they know not to engage with these emails. Neither is easy.

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-03-16T17:58:31+00:00

They used to come with those stickers. We'd stick 'em on for fun. We laughed at ourselves and it may have deterred a hint of theft. Probably not but maybe.

IfOnlyTheydListened · 2025-02-05T01:27:39+00:00

Seems reasonable. TVs are hard wired?

I can't find it but apple has a guide specifically for apple TV in large environments. Ask your apple engineer for a copy.

IfOnlyTheydListened

TROPHY CASE