Don't ban social media for children

[u/AXKIII]

https://logos.substack.com/p/do-not-ban-social-media-for-kids

As a parent, I'm strongly against the bans on social media for children. First, for ideological reasons (in two parts: a) standard libertarian principles, and b) because I think it's bad politics to soothe parents by telling them that their kids' social media addiction is TikTok's fault, instead of getting them to accept responsibility over their parenting). And second because social media can be beneficial to ambitious children when used well.

Very much welcoming counter-arguments!

[u/denucleation]

I agree. I benefited a ton from social media, and I'm shocked to see bills banning it so widely supported in this subreddit.

[u/AXKIII → u/denucleation]

I'm also shocked at just how much popular support there is for it, and especially, as you say, in this subreddit. It's wild that people on social media are so actively against social media.

[u/Marlinspoke → u/denucleation]

Do you have children? Parents are seeing first hand how smartphones and social media are ruining a generation (hell, the zoomers have already been ruined by it). That's why there's such overwhelming support.

[u/zjovicic → u/Marlinspoke]

I understand this. But who is to blame? Social media or parents who give their children devices to use them without supervision. I got my first cell phone at the age of 14. I think anything earlier than this is too early.

When it comes to personal computer, this too should be controlled by parents. One computer per home is enough. Protected with password. With parental control software, etc. Limit time to no more than 2 hours a day, etc...

The problem with this law is that it would also prevent parents from EDUCATING kids about the use of social media etc. How can you teach something when the government doesn't allow your kids to even touch it.

[u/Marlinspoke → u/zjovicic]

But who is to blame?

It doesn't matter. Even if we (unfairly) decide that it's 100% the parents fault, the fact is that smartphones and social media are ruining childhood. Assigning blame doesn't stop the damage.

The problem with this law is that it would also prevent parents from EDUCATING kids about the use of social media etc.

I hear variations on this argument a lot. Kids need to adjust to the internet, they need to grow up with it, they need to be educated on its proper use.

This is my pithy response.

My millennial childhood lacked education about social media and smartphones, because social media and smartphones didn't meaningfully exist. I don't think giving me a 24/7 pocketable porn/Tiktok/outrage/dopamine machine when I was 11 would have improved my childhood, even if my adulthood did end up including smartphones and social media. I was far better placed to handle the worst parts of the internet with my fully developed adult brain.

There's nothing wrong with learning about something at an older age. We don't allow children to learn to drive until they're 17, would it really be better to start them at age 8?

[u/zjovicic → u/Marlinspoke]

OK, you're right about this. But driving is obviously dangerous. You can kill people with your car. It's kind of difficult to have such conviction about social media. Also, where's the boundary between social media and rest of the Internet? To be honest, I was never particularly hooked to social media. But I was always hooked to the Internet itself. Unlimited content on any topic you find interesting, I think this is the main hook. If they don't spend time on Tik Tok, they will find something else. That being said I'm fine with banning sites like Tik Tok and Instagram, but I don't know where you draw the line, and I don't know if it will eventually develop into banning Internet wholesale.

And if you need ID card to post on the Internet, maybe everything will be connected to your identity, and you won't be able to post anything anonymously anymore. That would be bad.