Proposed Social Media ban for under-16 kids

[kyle]

I can't wait to see the workarounds. The word schadenfreude comes to mind.

 

[tgh]

My 9 yo, lotfap based grandson has had a mobile media device for years.. he even has an electric scooter...

 

[9171]

Wow! - not a topic I expected to debate on an airline forum, but it hooked me.

IMHO this is a very complex issue, and one that, due to the amazing pace of techno change, is novel and thus we have no experience dealing with similar.

I support the ideals and intent of the ban, but feel it would not just be ineffectual, but absolutely counter-productive.

You cannot ban anything on the internet. There are ways around everything. You can make some things slightly harder, but as others have already said, make something banned and "kids" will find a way around it. There is nothing more sadly mistaken than a parent who thinks they can control their kids access to internet stuff in an adversarial manner.

I say that this would even be "counter-productive". By this I mean that after people have given themselves a pat on the back for making something illegal and thus "protecting our kids", they will then fail to tackle the underlying real issues at play. And raising children requires parental support from day 1. A parent that is looking to government regulations to keep their child safe is perhaps shifting some critical responsibilities somewhere that is not dependable or appropriate.

Bans don't work, if they cannot be enforced. Simply making things illegal may make us feel good, but is it effective?

 

[drron]

So instead of parents complaining about the Social Media companies now they will complain that the goverment laws don't work.

 

[kyle]

If parenting is too hard, maybe people shouldn't have kids

 

[kookaburra75]

Wow! - not a topic I expected to debate on an airline forum, but it hooked me.

IMHO this is a very complex issue, and one that, due to the amazing pace of techno change, is novel and thus we have no experience dealing with similar.

I support the ideals and intent of the ban, but feel it would not just be ineffectual, but absolutely counter-productive.

You cannot ban anything on the internet. There are ways around everything. You can make some things slightly harder, but as others have already said, make something banned and "kids" will find a way around it. There is nothing more sadly mistaken than a parent who thinks they can control their kids access to internet stuff in an adversarial manner.

I say that this would even be "counter-productive". By this I mean that after people have given themselves a pat on the back for making something illegal and thus "protecting our kids", they will then fail to tackle the underlying real issues at play. And raising children requires parental support from day 1. A parent that is looking to government regulations to keep their child safe is perhaps shifting some critical responsibilities somewhere that is not dependable or appropriate.

Bans don't work, if they cannot be enforced. Simply making things illegal may make us feel good, but is it effective?

I think you touch on the main point here, it's not the platforms, but rather the content, or access to that content which is an issue. And that requires parents having those discussions, as uncomfortable as they might be, with their kids. And strong parental controls on the devices. I've invested in a new Wifi Router so I can lock down access by the grandson when he visits, or even the nieces' and nephews' kids, especially with Youtube on the TV.

Thankfully my two kids (now 31 and 33) simply didn't have the level of access as teens now, as the systems weren't there. But I did make sure they understood that whatever they posted online was the same as putting up on a big billboard by the side of the road. To quote Scott McNealy, in the early 2000s, “There is no privacy. Get over it.”

 

[n7of9]

It's an Aus Gov initiative, it will work as well as the pirate site ban where you change your DNS and Bob's your cousin's dad rather than your uncle.

 

[samh004]

Is AFF considered to be Social Media? If so, how would AFF ban under-16 kids?

You'd require birth date to be entered when signing up. Like anything, you can lie, but it would then come down to AFF to police. If you recall a few years ago there were two Aussie kids who wanted to start an airline and got some facetime with Alan Joyce? They were both in primary school and one ended up on AFF, but their account was paused, and they were encouraged to come back when they were older.

You sort of have to read between the lines on posts to decipher age sometimes

As for the proposed ban, I do think social media is harmful, not just to younger people, but you gain rights as you age, so I have no issues with the proposed ban. I think it makes a lot of sense.

 

[dajop]

I guess it's a bit like alcohol. We know it causes harm, and as such it is restricted to buy and also restricted to consume unless under parental supervision, if you're under 18.

But we also all know that most kids under 18 have access to and many will consume alcohol, perhaps except the insulated and the strong willed.

Also parallel is the behaviour modelled by parents - often a case of "do as I say, not as I do" ...

 

[jb747]

So, if we're going to ban the kids, how are we supposed to prove who we are?

 

[9171]

I guess it's a bit like alcohol. We know it causes harm, and as such it is restricted to buy and also restricted to consume unless under parental supervision, if you're under 18.

But we also all know that most kids under 18 have access to and many will consume alcohol, perhaps except the insulated and the strong willed.

Also parallel is the behaviour modelled by parents - often a case of "do as I say, not as I do" ...

Agree. But even further, internet connections essentially are like a 24/7 bottleshop availability, where you can get the product delivered silently and free to whereever at whatever time.

Post automatically merged: Monday at 8:34 PM

So, if we're going to ban the kids, how are we supposed to prove who we are?

Exactly. An absolutely impossible.

 

[downgraded]

So instead of parents complaining about the Social Media companies now they will complain that the goverment laws don't work.

Of course it's never the parents fault.
<redacted>

 

[downgraded]

So, if we're going to ban the kids, how are we supposed to prove who we are?

I just tried to provide a theory on where this was going but was redacted for stating the obvious.

 

[9171]

I just tried to provide a theory on where this was going but was redacted for stating the obvious.

Can you perhaps re-phrase in a form that does not attract redaction?

 

[downgraded]

Can you perhaps re-phrase in a form that does not attract redaction?

I initially thought the bill wouldn't pass due to the obvious reverse issue that it will be incumbent on the adult population to prove they are over age, but then realised the bill may receive popular support due to the benefit derived from the betrayal of trust that such support may afford others in the longer term with respect to probable counter productive outcomes.

 

[Daver6]

So, if we're going to ban the kids, how are we supposed to prove who we are?

If only we had the Australia card.....

</tongue in cheek>

 

[JohnK]

Lucky I do not follow social media. I have only just heard about it here.

Firstly let's get something straight. No one tells me how I should parent. At least not the clowns in power.

My 8 year old daughter will continue to use her tablet. She is 22 years old. She uses tiktok, YouTube and Roblox plus a host of other games she has downloaded. We have lots of arguments about her online time and I lose all the time. Some of the things she watches I don't approve but she has also learnt so many useful things as well.

When I was growing up there was also good and bad and there will also be good and bad in future. I used to buy cigarettes at 14 years old because no one cared. I used to purchase alcohol at 14 years old because I looked like a 25 year old and they never asked for ID.

And while we're at it, just in case they want to pass further legislation. I refuse to accept compelled speech. I refuse to accept any form of thought control.

Who said the Borg were fictional.

 

[kamchatsky]

Just to provide a more objective data to this discussion, this is the report from the NSW Government on social media use:

Survey highlights growing concerns ahead of Social Media Summit

The Minns Labor Government has released the findings of a major statewide survey, revealing widespread community concerns about the impact of social media on children, young people, and broader society.

www.nsw.gov.au

This is the NSW Government findings report of using social media and its impacts:

https://www.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/noindex/2024-10/Have%20Your%20Say%20on%20social%20media%20use%20and%20impacts%20findings.pdf

If you are interested, here are the Day 1 and Day 2 recordings of the Social Media Summit:
Day 1: Social Media Summit
Day 2: Social Media Summit

 

[Chicken]

Here is politicians selling false hope to Australian <redacted>

1 - Install VPN, only $5 per month.

2 - When kids encounter problems on the internet, they would not tell adults, because who would go to their teachers or guardians and say "So, I am breaking the law, I'm using social media, I'm a criminal". Now all the bullies and creeps can go free range. This law had just made the internet even more dangerous. Well done.

3 - Age of criminal responsibility is 10 in QLD, and the new NT government just lowered it from 12 to 10. So on one hand, we are saying kids at 10 are smart enough to know what they are doing, and deserve to be thrown in jail; then on the other hand, we say kids up to 16 are too stupid to use the net. Which one is true then?

This is a complex issue, yet, I have not even seen any politician taking the first step, which is to step back, and allow professionals with knowledge and experiences on this, to step to the front, and give parents and education workers the tools to deal with this.

I'm ashamed at how we treat children in this country.

 

[dajop]

I'm ashamed at how we treat children in this country.

Not the only country!

Watched something recently where a small Idaho community library had to shut its doors to children as it didn't have space or staff time to go through the library to weed out all the books with references to sex, homosexuality etc which minors are no longer permitted to access.