View in Browser Our Journalism Needs Your Support Please Donate Today

Ad for vote.gov

 

Ad for the Museum of Natural History

California Local Logo
Graphic which spells out The Newsletter.


By Eric Johnson
Published Nov 06, 2023

Image credit: Giorgi Balakhadze   CC-BY-SA-4.0

Are Facebook and Instagram Hurting Children?

I love and hate Facebook. I love it because I have used it for years to keep in touch with my family and oldest friends—many of whom I hadn’t heard from much before we all became FB friends. By facilitating instant two-way communications, Facebook became and remains the Internet’s killer app. I hate Facebook because, having studied it closely for years, I do believe that it is literally deadly.

For this week’s newsletter, Jonathan Vankin looks at the lawsuit that California Attorney General Rob Bonta and AGs across the country have filed against Facebook’s and Instagram’s parent company, Meta. The lawsuits allege that Meta exhibited a pattern of behavior in which it purposely caused children to become addicted to its products. (Duh.) The lawsuits describe various profound harms being experienced by our kids, and alleges that Meta’s own documents show that its executives knew that children were getting hurt, and continued these practices anyway.

Scott Galloway, NYU business school professor, offers a succinct analysis of the situation:

I think when we look back on this era of big tech, we’re gonna feel bad about monopoly abuse … we’re going to feel bad about the weaponization of our elections, vaccine misinformation—we’re gonna regret all of it. And I think that’s all gonna be dwarfed by this one regret, and that’s “how the [expletive] did we let this happen to our children?”


Moral Panic or Justifiable Outrage?

We know that kids are spending massive amounts of their lives on social-media sites. We know that there is a full-blown mental-health crisis among today’s teenagers. Are those phenomena related? And is that a corporate crime?


California Sues Meta For Damaging Kids’ Mental Health

How does social media affect the minds and well-being of children? According to California and other states, not well.
California and 32 other states are suing Instagram’s parent company, Meta, saying that their apps are damaging to children. Is there evidence for those claims? Here’s why social media is under attack.


California Local logo

Monterey County's Homepage

Direct your browser to https://monterey.californialocal.com/ to catch up on the latest news in California and Monterey County. Bookmark the link and visit often, there's a lot happening in your community!


The Dark Mind Behind ‘Engagement’

Rene Girard taught Peter Thiel, the billionaire VC who bankrolled Facebook, that people are driven to imitate each other and move in packs. His mentor meant it as a deadly warning, but Thiel took it as an opportunity to hypnotize a generation.


Desire and Addiction on Facebook

Rene Girard, 'the godfather of the Like button.'
Harper’s magazine reviews a posthumous collection by Rene Girard, who was Peter Thiel’s professor at Stanford, and is called “the godfather of the Like button.”


Impact Report Image for decorative use


Get to Know a Group

Community Emergency Response Volunteers logo Community Emergency Response Volunteers

Community Emergency Response Volunteers of the Monterey Peninsula's mission is “to support local CERT programs, build public awareness about emergency preparedness, and promote the community's capacity to respond to natural disasters and man-made emergencies.”

→ Learn more

  California Local Pin Marker  

Upcoming Community Ally Events

Arts Council of Monterey County logo Open Studios Art Tour
Saturday October 19 2024   All Day
Arts Council of Monterey County logo Open Studios Art Tour
Sunday October 20 2024   All Day
California Media Alliance logo

From Our Media Allies

→ View All
Salinas Valley Tribune logo Braga Fresh Creates Three New Positions

Braga Fresh, home of Josie’s Organics, created three new positions to support multiple company departments and business growth.

Salinas Valley Tribune logo Monterey County Superior Court Announces Judicial Leadership for 2024-25

Honorable Rafael Vazquez will serve as the court’s next assistant presiding judge, commencing in 2024. Current Assistant Presiding Judge Carrie M. Panetta will be presiding judge effective Jan. 1, 2024.

Monterey County Weekly logo MPWMD Prevails in Lawsuit Against LAFCO

Monterey Peninsula Water Management District’s pursuit to buy out California American Water’s system had a small but notable victory on Oct. 25.

King City Rustler logo Sculpture Installed at Mission San Antonio de Padua

Local artist Max Randolph recently installed a custom 12-foot-tall sculpture of a great oak tree in the historic courtyard of Mission San Antonio de Padua.

Monterey County Weekly logo In a Delayed Hearing, Monterey Planning Commission Greenlights Compact Disco Permit

Compact Disco opened in July as downtown Monterey’s only house music venue. But it was only three months later that it was granted a corrected permit.

Monterey County Weekly logo Monterey’s First Homeless Shelter for Women and Families Is Ready to Welcome Guests

Just a week before the first guests step over the threshold, crews are busy putting the finishing touches on the Shuman HeartHouse.

Monterey County Weekly logo Salinas Weighs Tax District to Fund Infrastructure at Ag Industrial Center

Officials are exploring the formation of a new tax district to fund improvements that would help develop the long-gestating Salinas Ag Industrial Center.

Monterey County Weekly logo Soledad Residents Gathered 1,398 Signatures to Prompt a Referendum. Is That Enough?

With big smiles, members of the Soledad Committee for Voting Rights walked into City Hall to deliver the 1,398 signatures—two signatures shy of their 1,400 goal.

Gilroy Dispatch logo Salinas-Gilroy Bus Line Restored

Local officials gathered at the Gilroy Transit Center to celebrate the return of the bus line that was suspended three years ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Monterey County Weekly logo Soledad Power Couple Resigns From Public Offices on Council, Hartnell Board

Alejandro Chavez, a Soledad City Council member, and Erica Padilla-Chavez, Hartnell College’s trustee for Area 6, have resigned from their elected positions to move out of the county.

SanBenitocom logo County, Salinas Valley Health Present Letter of Intent to Take Over Hazel Hawkins

San Benito County and Salinas Valley Health officials seek to take over operations of Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital through a joint powers authority.

SanBenitocom logo Aromas Fire Destroys Three Structures, Closes Roads and School

A wood pile along Quarry Road in Aromas that caught fire Oct. 31 led to power lines down and road closures.

King City Rustler logo Mee Memorial Healthcare System Adds Harvard-educated Ophthalmologist

Dr. Victor Holmes is an ophthalmologist trained to diagnose, treat and manage diseases or trauma of the eye.

Salinas Valley Tribune logo Goodwill Central Coast Focuses on the Art of Convenience

Goodwill Central Coast provides 30 donation centers throughout Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo counties—six of them now offering drive-thru service.

Salinas Valley Tribune logo County of Monterey Offers New Tax Payment Option

Treasurer-Tax Collector Mary Zeeb has announced a new option for local taxpayers who would prefer to break down tax bills into manageable monthly payments.

Monterey County Weekly logo Pacific Grove Ends Zoom Calls to Meetings While Monterey Keeps Them

Pacific Grove Mayor Bill Peake has decided to end Zoom call-ins to meetings two weeks after an organized group of white supremacists call-bombed a council meeting.

  California Local Pin Marker  

Recent Local News

→ View All

• Pacific Grove Unified Approves Employment Contract With New Superintendent

The Pacific Grove Unified School District’s board of trustees unanimously approved Linda Adamson as the district’s next superintendent.

(11/03/2023) → Monterey Herald

• ‘Wall Raising’ to Mark Construction of Lightfighter Village in Marina

Elected officials, funders and members of the veterans community will come together to raise the first wall in the project that will provide homeless veterans a place to live in perpetuity with no transitional requirements.

(11/02/2023) → Monterey Herald

• Gali Debuts First Wines Made by Former Ridge Winemaker

Janice and Joseph Gali of Gali Vineyards in Watsonville still have fruit hanging. There’s good news and bad news, as with anyone trying to ripen coastal syrah this season.

(11/01/2023) → Edible Monterey Bay

• Aromas Residents Work With County to Get New Ballot Dropbox

Living in a town that straddles Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties can sometimes be a challenge for people living in Aromas.

(10/31/2023) → Benito Link
  California Local Pin Marker  

Recent Statewide News

→ View All

• UC Irvine-Led Science Team Shows How to Eat Our Way Out of the Climate Crisis

In a study published in Nature Sustainability, scientists assessed the potential for wide-scale synthetic production of dietary fats. The raw materials are the same as those used by plants: hydrogen in water and carbon dioxide in the air.

(11/06/2023) → YubaNet

• A Proposed Development Might Threaten California’s Oldest Tree

A shrubby Palmer oak tree in Riverside County is around 13,000 years old, making it California’s oldest tree and one of the longest-lived organisms on earth. Some people are concerned that a proposed development could threaten the tree.

(11/06/2023) → Los Angeles Times

• Newsom Taking New Approach to California’s 10,000 Homeless Veterans

California’s population of homeless veterans has plateaued despite billions of dollars in state spending to create housing for former service members. Now, Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to shift resources to focus on veterans with serious mental health conditions.

(11/05/2023) → CalMatters

• What a Theme Park Giant Merger Means for California

Two theme park giants, Six Flags and Cedar Fair, announced they are merging. It could have potential impacts on California theme parks like Six Flags Magic Mountain, Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.

(11/05/2023) → SFGate

• UC Berkeley to Relinquish More Than 4,000 Ancestral Remains

Tribes like the Muwekma Ohlone have been asking UC Berkeley for decades to give back ancestral remains from burial sites around the Bay Area. The school is in the process of repatriating 4,400 remains and 25,000 tribal items.

(11/03/2023) → ProPublica

• Lakes Are Reappearing in Death Valley

California's Death Valley is Earth’s hottest place and North America’s driest place. Intense rains, though, are causing lakes to briefly reappear.

(11/03/2023) → Newsweek

• Open Enrollment for Covered California Runs Nov. 1 to Jan. 31

It’s that time of the year again when people can get health insurance through Covered California. Here’s more information on how to apply.

(11/03/2023) → Sacramento Bee

• America’s Low-Carbon Transition Could Improve Employment Opportunities for All

The USA is likely to see consistent job growth from the transition to net zero, but the gains will be unevenly distributed, shows a new analysis conducted by Imperial College London researchers and published in Nature Climate Change.

(11/03/2023) → YubaNet

• Tech Layoffs Continuing in California

Four technology companies, including Google, have announced they're laying off close to 1,700 workers in California. This follows tech layoffs that have been underway since last year.

(11/02/2023) → San Francisco Chronicle

• Schiff Gets Endorsement From CA Assembly Speaker in U.S. Senate Race

California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas has endorsed Rep. Adam Schiff in a crowded U.S. Senate race. Other candidates include representatives Barbara Lee and Katie Porter.

(11/02/2023) → Los Angeles Times

• Australian Wine Conglomerate Spends $900 Million for Daou Vineyards

The acquisition includes the Daou brand, Daou Mountain Estate, four luxury wineries, and around 400 acres of vineyards in Adelaida District of Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County.

(11/01/2023) → San Joaquin Valley Sun

• A Big Year of Snow in California Was Horrific for Endangered Sheep

Researchers tell LAist that half of California’s population of Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, which are endangered, died last winter due to record weather. Causes of death include avalanches, starvation and getting eaten by mountain lions after moving to lower elevations for food.

(10/31/2023) → LAist

• UCLA Scientist: California’s Redwoods Might Not Last Another Century

A UCLA climate scientist says California’s redwoods might not last in their current groves for another 100 years. An effort is afoot to plant redwoods elsewhere in more potentially hospitable climates, such as the Pacific Northwest.

(10/31/2023) → New York Times
  California Local Pin Marker  

Government Announcements

→ View All
Image of City of Marina seal. City of Marina   (11/05/2023)

Marina Police Arrest Felony Hit and Run / DUI Suspect -

Marina Police Officers Arrest Suspect for Felony Hit and Run and Felony DUI After He Flees Scene of Collision -
Image of City of Seaside seal. City of Seaside   (11/03/2023)

Monterey County Behavioral Health Community Survey

Please take a short survey to share your thoughts on behavioral health needs in Monterey County.
Image of City of Seaside seal. City of Seaside   (11/03/2023)

Ribbon Cutting: Ord Terrace Elementary School Crossing Improvements Project

You're invited to the Ord Terrace Elementary School Crossing Improvement Project Ribbon Cutting on Wednesday, November 8th, at 10:40 AM.
Image of City of Marina seal. City of Marina   (11/02/2023)

Marina Police Arrest Suspect After a Slow Speed Pursuit in Stolen Vehicle

Marina Police Arrest Suspect After a Slow Speed Pursuit in Stolen Vehicle
Image of City of King City seal. City of King City   (11/01/2023)

6th Cycle Housing Element (2023-2031) Public Review Draft

Housing Element 2023-2031 Public Review Draft Appendix A- Part 1 Appendix A- Part 2 Appendix B Appendix C The post 6th Cycle Housing Element (2023-2031) Public Review Draft appeared first on City of King.
Image of City of Marina seal. City of Marina   (10/31/2023)

Flock Safety Camera System Input Requested

The Marina Police Department is requesting your input regarding implementation of the Flock Safety Camera System.
Image of County of Monterey seal. County of Monterey   (10/31/2023)

Family and Food Safety First this Thanksgiving

Eating healthy this Thanksgiving begins with basic home food safety practices that are known to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. The Monterey County Health Department is reminding all cooks entering the kitchen this season to follow the...
Image of County of Monterey seal. County of Monterey   (10/31/2023)

Public Health Alert - FDA Advises Parents and Caregivers Not to Buy or Feed to Toddlers and Young Children Because of Elevated Lead Levels

https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/fda-advises-parents-and-caregivers-not-buy-or-feed-wanabana-apple-cinnamon-fruit-puree-pouches
Image of City of Del Rey Oaks seal. City of Del Rey Oaks   (10/30/2023)

FORTAG Construction Begins with Roadwork on MONDAY October 16

Image of City of Del Rey Oaks seal. City of Del Rey Oaks   (10/30/2023)

On MONDAY, OCTOBER 16th CalAm will begin a water line relocation project on Rt. 218