via Wikimedia
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In Philly, park officials have been installing a device called a “mosquito” for years now. Basically, it’s meant to repel young people by using a high-pitched sound that’s only supposed to be heard by people under the age of 25 thanks to their younger ears. But there’s a problem.
These devices are pushing young people away from the very places they’re supposed to feel safe and comfortable. They’re also going about this the wrong way - by treating young people like pests instead of human beings.
One teen made it plain when he spoke to NPR about the devices, saying, “It makes us feel like animals. Not all teens are bad, just because we want to go outside for a breath of fresh air at night.” To make things worse, some people over the age of 25 can hear the terrible sound too!
The city is currently deciding if it wants to keep these devices around. Philadelphia City Council member Helen Gym is trying to get them removed, and she’s called them “sonic weapons” that “turn young people away from the very places that were created for them.”
You can help! Sign this petition to support the removal of these pesky devices that target young people in Philadelphia. We want Black youth in Philly to be safe and sound, not discriminated against and pushed away in a city that needs safe spaces for them!