Connecticut
Connecticut Democrats to bring back legislation giving parents control over social media
Democrats plan to revive a proposal to give parents greater control over how children use social media.
“If they don’t like what we’re going to protect the kids, what is your plan to protect the kids?” Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Connecticut) said. “Otherwise, we’ll keep going with this.”
Leaders of the legislature’s General Law Committee joined Lamont for a press conference at the Capitol, saying they’ll introduce the bill once the legislative session starts on Feb. 4.
The bill would require parental approval before anyone under 18 years old can open a social media account.
Additionally, parents would need to approve the content children can view, set time limits for usage, and decide whether their accounts are public.
Attorney General William Tong (D-Connecticut) said the law would require parents to opt in to ensure they give consent.
That means social media platforms can’t, for example, make a minor’s account public as a default setting.
Lastly, the bill would prohibit social media companies from sending push notifications to children between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m.
“What this specifically does is highlight a very vulnerable population and says there needs to be protections in place,” Rep. Roland Lemar (D-New Haven) said. “Children need to have these protections.
Lemar said social media can be a valuable resource, but he wants to safeguard children against potential harm.
Some experts have been raising concerns that social media platforms can become addictive, especially since they allow users to scroll content endlessly.
Those experts have also warned about increased risks of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues among children and teenagers.
“They’re still children, and they’re still vulnerable in how they’re developing those individual identities,” Connecticut Children’s pediatrician Dr. Robert Keder said. “They are subject to things like FOMO, or fear of missing out, or influencing body image.”
Tech companies pushed back against the bill last year, saying they’re already putting tools in place for parents.
Instagram, for example, announced a teen-friendly version of its app in October, with more age-appropriate content.
Christopher Gilrein, executive director with the lobbying firm Technet, said last year that “the industry has a longstanding commitment to provide parents and guardians with resources to help ensure a safe online experience for their children, and the industry has been at the forefront of educating parents and guardians about safety.”
Last year’s version received a 121-26 vote in the House, but the Senate failed to raise it for debate before the session ended.
A few Republicans raised concerns about whether the state could enforce the bill.
One of those Republicans, Rep. Lezlye Zupkus (R-Prostect), said she’ll need to review this year’s bill, but she supports the concept.
“We need to look at what our kids are looking at and what is age-appropriate for them and what they should be doing,” she said
Connecticut
Florida High School State Bronze Medalist Dajah German Verbals To Connecticut For Fall 2027
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Florida high school state bronze medalist Dajah German has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Connecticut beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Connecticut! I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, my family, coaches, teammates, and friends who have pushed me to be my best throughout the years. And a very special thank you to Coach Chris and Coach Nicole for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’m so excited for what’s ahead. GO HUSKIES!
A rising senior at Fort Lauderdale High School in Florida, German trains year-round with Swim Fort Lauderdale and primarily specializes in the sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.
German has improved each year of her high school career, most recently dropping from 23.78, 51.39, and 1:50.56 in the 50/100/200 free to 23.54, 51.35, and 1:49.69 during the 2025-26 short course season.
German’s top meet of the season was the Florida Senior Championships in March, where she recorded her current PBs in both the 50 and 200 free. She finished second in the 500 free (4:55.94) and 1650 free (17:02.78), third in both the 50 free and 200 free, and fifth in the 100 free (51.43). She set her current 100 free PB at a smaller holiday meet in December. In the 500 free, she clocked a season-best 4:55.21 at the Speedo Cup in January, with her lifetime best of 4:53.19 coming at the 2025 Florida Senior Championships.
German has qualified for the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Championships for the past three years, with her top performance coming at the 2025 iteration in November. She placed third in the 50 free (23.96), fifth in the 500 free (5:01.12), and helped Fort Lauderdale to fourth place in both the 200 free relay (24.64 leadoff) and 400 free relay (53.08 anchor).
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 23.54
- 100 Freestyle: 51.35
- 200 Freestyle: 1:49.69
- 500 Freestyle: 4:53.19
A Division I Mid-Major program, Connecticut competes in the Big East, with the women’s team placing second out of seven teams at this past season’s conference championships. German’s current lifetime bests would have placed third in the 200 free, fourth in the 500 free, eighth in the 50 free, and ninth in the 100 free, setting her up as an immediate contributor with two full seasons of training still ahead before her first conference meet.
German joins Anna Mumford, Lyla Devlin, Lena Brown, and Louisa Holda in committing to the Huskies’ class of 2031 so far.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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Here are the forecast details for northern Connecticut via the National Weather Service:
Today: Sunny, with a high near 80. Light west wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: A chance of showers before 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2pm and 4pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 59. Southeast wind around 8 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
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