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Florida's DeSantis signs law restricting social media for people under 16

reuters.com

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Re: Florida's DeSantis signs law restricting social media for people under 16

#51
post #18

Solution for teens wanting to be in social media: move to a better state lol

If you are saying a better state would allow them on social media, something that has been shown to be detrimental to children under eighteen, how can it be a better state?

Re: Florida's DeSantis signs law restricting social media for people under 16

#52

People might see it as harsh but looking at reality and the hard numbers collected about the gigantic negative impact it has on kids and teenagers this is the right move, would even push it till 18.

Why 18 and not 25?

Excellent, have a whole group of voters who aren't allowed access to certain political information. Or are you going to raise the voting age to 25 as well?

Perhaps we should also cut off people over 65, since they've proven to be more vulnerable to scams and financial exploitation over social media?

(there's real arguments to be had about the negative effects of social media, but a serious discussion would include those on adults and old people as well, and this ban, like the TikTok one, is definitely more a part of culture war than a well-intentioned effort to improve the effect of telecoms on people's lives)

Re: Florida's DeSantis signs law restricting social media for people under 16

#53

People might see it as harsh but looking at reality and the hard numbers collected about the gigantic negative impact it has on kids and teenagers this is the right move, would even push it till 18.

Why 18 and not 25?

Heck, why not ban it altogether?

In all seriousness, this is a great move that should be emulated. I'm a tech-optimist but the effect social media has on teenagers specifically and public discourse in general is absolutely toxic.

Re: Florida's DeSantis signs law restricting social media for people under 16

#54
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're 15, you're not allowed in a bar, and you're not allowed on a porn site, and you're not allowed to buy cigarettes. The list goes on and on. I fail to see how not being allowed on Facebook is different.

I think the argument is that there are no constitutional rights to bars, cigarettes, and porn. Social media is being held up as an example of "speech" here, which all US citizens are entitled to (at least in theory).

Social media is not “speech” it is a specific type of platform which you also do not have a constitutional right to.

Re: Florida's DeSantis signs law restricting social media for people under 16

#55
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes we already restrict children from doing a ton of things e.g. buying or making pornography

Separate question, though - that's particular kinds of material (and for some reason US caselaw basically doesn't regard anything pornographic as "speech"), while this is a blanket restriction.

This is not a blanket restriction it is a ban on social media which a specific thing. Social media != speech it is a product created by a company for profit

Re: Florida's DeSantis signs law restricting social media for people under 16

#56

Ah! The good old party of small government, individual liberties and free market. Well done sticking to your principals sirs and madams!

So the party of small government isn't allowed to make any laws, even for (what they consider, at least) the well-being of society?

This concept that "the other side" can't do anything right is going to be the end of society.

Re: Florida's DeSantis signs law restricting social media for people under 16

#57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Setting it to 18 is obviously pretty ridiculous. That's just going to continue the weird trend of infantilizing people by pushing back the age at which they learn to deal with things that require self control. At 16 there are at least 2 years where parents have the ability to actually interfere and help bring any negative effects under control.

Do you know at what age people are able to properly deal with things that require self control? I believe that part of the brain doesn’t mature until early 20s. At 18 a person is legally an adult so 18 seems like a much more reasonable cutoff than 16.

People don't just start being able to deal with things that require self control at a specific age. It has to be taught. Even sex ed recognizes that, where it's far more effective to teach kids how to be safe during it rather than to teach them that they can do what they want after 18.

If you push off the learning to when the person can legally just do whatever they want, all you're doing is abdicating parental responsibility and setting the person up for addiction as an adult.

Re: Florida's DeSantis signs law restricting social media for people under 16

#58

>Critics have said the bill violates the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment protections for free speech and that parents, not the government, should make decisions about the online presence of their children of all ages. It's extremely difficult for parents to stop their children, especially early teens from using social media. This law should make it easier and it would put the work on Meta, Snap, Tiktok, Pinterest…

Not speaking from personal experience. My kid is only 4.

Your argument seems like exactly what my parents would have said about me spending so much time on TV, computers and electronics instead of studying, playing outside, sports etc.

Almost exactly like your last paragraph.. “I’m personally glad that I grew up without infinite channels on TV, computers and its games, cell phones and your SMSes. I’m worried about your generation. You guys are exposed to a lot of junk and things that waste your attention.” - Dad.

Yet, here we are….

May be kids of now will just need to be educated about the real impact and not be treated as if they are in glass houses?

Re: Florida's DeSantis signs law restricting social media for people under 16

#59

Ah! The good old party of small government, individual liberties and free market. Well done sticking to your principals sirs and madams!

Nice strawman, the political realignment called and says it wants a word with you

Re: Florida's DeSantis signs law restricting social media for people under 16

#60

>Critics have said the bill violates the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment protections for free speech and that parents, not the government, should make decisions about the online presence of their children of all ages. It's extremely difficult for parents to stop their children, especially early teens from using social media. This law should make it easier and it would put the work on Meta, Snap, Tiktok, Pinterest…

These critics have no understanding of the law. We’ve been making exceptions for children for decades at least, probably since the beginning of the republic

I assure you I have an understanding of the law. This is such a a rude and preposterous assertion in bad faith.

This is a law mandating ID verification for all children and adults.

If you require controls for everyone below a certain age, you de facto require controls for everyone of every age who does not prove they are over the minimum age. In other words, even if you can legally discriminate against children, my rights to speak anonymously as an adult are being taken away because if I don't show my ID, I will be treated as a child who has fewer rights.

We can disagree on the merits, but please don't imply that everyone who disagrees with you is ipso facto an idiot.

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