18 million. This is the number of kids who are tortured by IXL everyday. Think about how high that number is. 18,000,000.

Kids are feeling high levels of anxiety and stress from this website claiming to build confidence and boost math skills. But many users are feeling like IXL is doing the opposite. You answer a question right and get 3 points, but get one wrong and now you lost 15. The so called "SmartScore" is totally unfair, and makes it much harder to complete your work. Students also complain about not getting a 100 SmartScore, and feeling stupid or like they can't do math. Many students are spending hours on just one lesson, causing them to not get the needed sleep for their developing brains. All this stress is causing kids to use AI just to get the torture over with, instead of doing the work. I know people who hate AI more than anything, but use it because they would rather not be tortured by this terrible website.

And as for IXL saying that they help kids learn math, it doesn't even teach anything! They just quiz you (unfairly), and when you get a question wrong, the explanation is too complicated for even parents and teachers to understand. And especially if kids are using AI, this doesn't help.

Are you familiar with the term "Math Madness"? If not, I'll explain. It is basically a competition to see who can get the most IXL's done in a month, usually with a 25 minimum. It is a class competition that is not optional, and has bad prizes. Not including weekends, this means about 1 per day, 30 minutes per lesson, or 12.5 hours of IXL (in total for the month). Think of everything you could have done instead during those 12.5 hours! Not to mention this whole thing is a quiz grade, meaning it could lower your overall grade significantly and not even teach you anything.

Schools have to pay $20 a month per student for IXL. Not to mention the broken laptops that need replacing from kids getting angry at it. One student from a different school had to get a new computer because theirs had water damage. You know where the water came from? THE CHILD'S TEARS. This complete waste of money could be used instead for improving teacher salaries or a free lunch program. 

If you look at the ratings of IXL, is has an average of 1 or 2 stars. Students, teachers, and parents are all complaining about how unfair and useless IXL is. Hundreds of petitions just like this one have been made as an attempt to end the torture. And some have actually been successful!

I haven't even gotten into the fact that IXL sells children's information all around the world. But the video at the bottom goes more in depth about this.

This app is actually affecting the brain development of children. If you think this is wrong (because it is), sign this petition and share it with other HCPS and SPMS students. 

To learn more about the negative effects of this torture device disguised as a learning tool for children, check out this video linked below. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QJuJYYYBHc

Please help me make this petition a success by just signing and sharing. Thank you.

-Elliot Coughran, 7th grader at Short Pump Middle School