SurroundedByBooks

Pigeon Mail

—the retirees who’ve read more murder mysteries than I’ve had hot meals

—the paperback romance girlies (gender neutral) who check out every single bodice ripper the second it hits the shelves

—the dads very slowly making their way through a ‘1001 movies to see before you die’ list

—the one-man criterion collection who checks out like, three movies per day and brings them back the next. (TV series are only a minor roadblock.)

I say this not as "boo-hoo poor baby nadi," I say this because I know worse is already happening to kids with long covid. Despite two rounds of democratic presidents since I was undergoing this torture, we still "No Child Left Behind," and I remember how students with even minor learning issues were taught by teachers when I was in public school. Now imagine you're a 8 year old with persistent brain fog and constant fatigue and weird gastrointestinal issues and imagine how teachers (whose jobs are still tied to student's standarized test scores over 20 years later) are treating them. How many of these kids are getting the opposite of attention? How many are getting crammed into already overpopulated and under-funded/staffed special education rooms? How many are branded as lazy and stupid and "problem" when they're literally sick and getting sicker because we can't even get schools to put an air filter in the room?

I have this passion for airborne illness caution because I can see just how many kids are living worse childhoods than I had. I can see the hundreds of thousands of kids across the country, the millions across the world, who struggle to pay attention to lessons not because they're uninterested or unintelligent but because they're in constant suffering no one will comprehend or lessen or excuse. And knowing what it's like, I don't want more kids to go through that: I was lucky to live through it, and many don't. Masking keeps kids safer. Air filtration keeps kids safer. Improved ventilation keeps kids safer. Frequent testing for respiratory diseases keeps kids safer. Paid sick leave keeps kids safer. Hybrid options for education keeps kids safer.

(was asked to put my Bluesky thread on tumblr)

Just because of some stuff I saw yesterday: if you are a minor online, please do not openly identify yourself as such. It is not safe, it allows adults who want to interact with minors for bad purposes to know you are one.

There are different, safer ways to accomplish your goals than to do that.

You do not need to identify yourself publicly as a minor online to:

Ask that people respect your boundaries

Not create or interact with adult material

Not be a victim of harassment

Not give away personal information

All these are normal things anyone of any age can do online.

If you are being invited into spaces you don't want to be in as a minor, or which people have asked you not to be in as a minor, decline for any or no reason. If an adult wants to do something with you they should not with a minor, decline for any or no reason. If people do not accept that, they are not people you should be interacting with. Don't pretend to be an adult, just don't say you aren't.

I understand that recently, more people under 18 tend to say that they are under 18 to protect themselves online. People who are not dangerous don't need that information. People who are dangerous will gladly use it because they know you are vulnerable. You are not protecting yourself.

As an adult who doesn't really care to interact with minors, I probably won't interact a lot with you if you are "young." That's not hard to catch from the way people act online. If you are "young" I care about you being safe and not victimized by opportunists, regardless of your birth year.

Protect your identity and safety on the internet, and if you are a person who is vulnerable, be a mysterious figure. Make silly posts. Complain about "people you know." Complain about "living with your parents."

"ADULTS DNI!"

Most adults will see this, roll their eyes, and respect it by moving on.

You know what predators see when they see "Adults DNI!"? They see a target who trusts adults to respect a DNI, but probably doesn't trust adults enough to go to one if there is a problem. They know really defensive teens are more likely to have past trauma, which, like any vulnerability, can be easily exploited. All they have to do is pretend to be your age. And yes, it's easy to fall for it. And they will absolutely cultivate your mistrust of adults to make sure you feel like you can't go to anyone. "Adults just won't believe you, or will blame you" is where a lot of you are at to begin with.