Writer's Guide 101 (Wattpad Edition)

UPDATE (7.28.2023)

I remember checking my phone for anything news-worthy as usual and saw many people freaking out across the Internet about the KOSA bill (Kids Online Safety Act). There was already a petition made to stop it.
    Of course, I was kind of skeptical at first since there aren't many people talking about it yet. From what I can gather, this could totally affect people living in the U.S., taking away kids' privacy and mainly targeting the LGBTQ+ community.
   It allows the government — and parents as well — to view your online activities. The claim stating that they'll require you to provide IDs is false and hopefully that doesn't happen. To our fellow Americans, kindly correct me if I miss anything.
    Another problem is it can block out any important resources discussing racism, gender/sexuality, drugs, mental health and trauma from anyone under eighteen. It can shut down any sites or anyonr that go against the bill.
First of, you should at least be thirteen to access the Internet. Second, does the government know how many lives are saved thanks to the Internet (especially to those living in abusive and conservative households)?
    If they wanna protect kids so bad, they should at least implement classes or seminars that could educate the entire community on how to navigate online spaces. Instead of trying to shelter li'l Timmy from the uncomfortable stuff, try setting aside your personal biases for a moment and have age-appropriate discussions together. Like y'know, "the talk"!
    It's safe to take this with a grain of salt and wait for more updates. Unfortunately, today is when the U.S. Senate will pass on the law. It is unlikely that Wattpad will be affected since they're a Canadian company. This will hit many U.S.-based sites like Google, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The lesson here is that neither the government nor the Internet are made to babysit your kids. Always educate yourself and be responsible for their sake.