PARENTS: GOOGLE CLASSROOM IS NOT YOUR FRIEND
The following is by Carrie McLaren, a Brooklyn parent. If others have similar experiences with Chromebooks, please let us know at info@studentprivacymatters.org
A couple of years ago, my then-4th grade son started watching YouTube videos about Magic, a trading card game. These were snoozy, lo-tech commentaries that struck me as quasi-educational. But I soon noticed that YouTube’s algorithm would start recommending more and more “engaging” videos — a video of white gamer known for dropping the N-word, for instance.
A close friend noticed the same thing happening with her teen. The boy watches videos about American history and started slowly being fed conspiratorial, alt.right nonsense. The racism was not intended on Google’s part. It’s simply the formula we’ve seen all over media platforms: big emotions + edgy content = more engagement. YouTube is in the center of the attention economy, after all, and YouTube’s goal is to keep users watching YouTube.
This economic imperative doesn’t end with Google Classroom. Classroom is just another piece of Google’s data-mining machine. Why school districts are so eager to jump on board the platform is CONTINUE READING: Parents: Google Classroom is not your friend | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy
