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France passes bill to ban social media use by under-15s

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Re: France passes bill to ban social media use by under-15s

#51

Post by mattmark »

King-Aaron wrote: post #15

I don't like the idea of centralised digital ID for the obvious surveillance/privacy arguments and think that side of the conversation needs to be focused on. BUT, I also think that the Social Media experiment has shown that social media in general really, really sucks. It sucks for adults but it's objectively damaging to kids. So like, I am all for restricting kids from it, and honestly I'd happily see it regulated…

I’d like good social media regulated into existence. Let people take their data, move to a different service, set up redirects, have some meaningful ways to customize or reject algorithms, etc. I don’t think it’s likely to happen but one can hope.

Re: France passes bill to ban social media use by under-15s

#52

Post by johnisgood »

terespuwash wrote: post #39

What a weird idea to isolate teens from a platform instead of regulating it. It’s like if children were forbidden to drink a soda at a bar because they also sell alcohol. Enforcing platform’s safety and educating users (young and old) would be much better to help everyone be healthy in a connected world.

We have not learnt anything from the war on drugs, even though many people compare social media to drugs.

Re: France passes bill to ban social media use by under-15s

#53

Post by logicchains »

mary-ext wrote: post #14

I've noticed that there's a decent amount of people who had benefitted having access to computer and internet really early on that seemed to be pro on banning teen access to social media, is there a reason why? the social media of today don't seem all that much different from the internet forums of back in the day if algorithmic amplification is the reason then I'm not sure why social media as a whole has to be banne…

>I've noticed that there's a decent amount of people who had benefitted having access to computer and internet really early on that seemed to be pro on banning teen access to social media

Most of the people on this platform are left-leaning, and social media has allowed right-wing ideas to spread among the youth, ideas which they'd never have been exposed to if their information was filtered through left-leaning teachers and media as it was in previous decades. They want to ban social media in an attempt to bring future youth back leftwards.

Re: France passes bill to ban social media use by under-15s

#54

Post by pfannkuchen »

timpera wrote: post #22

Please note that the Conseil d'État, the highest French court for administrative matters, has issued a very skeptical opinion on this bill, saying that only the EU can impose new obligations onto digital platforms. https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2026/01/27/french-l... > The amended and adopted text now states that "access to an online social network service provided by an online platform is prohibited for m…

Frexit?

Re: France passes bill to ban social media use by under-15s

#55

Post by quotemstr »

mary-ext wrote: post #14

I've noticed that there's a decent amount of people who had benefitted having access to computer and internet really early on that seemed to be pro on banning teen access to social media, is there a reason why? the social media of today don't seem all that much different from the internet forums of back in the day if algorithmic amplification is the reason then I'm not sure why social media as a whole has to be banne…

There are supposedly studies linking social media to various negative consequences. For example, according to the Mayo Clinic, social media can:

- Distract from homework, exercise and family activities.

- Disrupt sleep.

- Lead to information that is biased or not correct.

... Ah, just like that public health menace, the public library.

I don't believe "social media" is actually injurious to youths. The studies saying it does, ISTM, are all confounded, of poor quality, and ride off publication bias. And yeah, it's remarkable that a lot of people on this very thread ago grew up on the Internet and gained lifelong technical skills want to pull the ladder up after them on the grounds of unproven and implausible harms.

In reality, the drive for social media age limits is the latest in a long line of moral panics. In the 80s, it was D&D corrupting innocent souls. Now, it's feed ranking? I don't believe any of it.

Looking for reason at the root of a moral panic usually leads only to despair. These things just have to be endured.

Re: France passes bill to ban social media use by under-15s

#56

Post by johnisgood »

bandrami wrote: post #48
trvz wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s a little harsh. Under 25 and over 75 would be more appropriate.

That's the kind of soft-hearted laissez-faire attitude that got us where we are today

Yeah we need dictatorship with a dictator that opposes all your views. /s

Re: France passes bill to ban social media use by under-15s

#57

Post by logicchains »

nkmnz wrote: post #36

This is ridiculous. I went to university at the age of 14 and was absolutely capable of managing my way through social media at that time - but it became much worse in my early 20s when interest in politics peaked. Maybe interest in politics should be outlawed instead, it’s much more harmful.

>Maybe interest in politics should be outlawed instead, it’s much more harmful.

It's not "politics" that's harmful, it's politicians continuously acting against the interests of the younger generation. Trying to suppress the youth's ability to discuss and organize against that is tyrannical.

Re: France passes bill to ban social media use by under-15s

#58

Post by DarkWiiPlayer »

mary-ext wrote: post #14

I've noticed that there's a decent amount of people who had benefitted having access to computer and internet really early on that seemed to be pro on banning teen access to social media, is there a reason why? the social media of today don't seem all that much different from the internet forums of back in the day if algorithmic amplification is the reason then I'm not sure why social media as a whole has to be banne…

Same here; I'm all for a "ban" but it doesn't have to be all social media, just force them to use a simple rules-based algorithm for minors.

But meh, it's a broader issue anyway. Just look at the puritanical obsession some people have with pornography too.

Young people these days are getting infantilised way too much imho and that's just not healthy. There needs to be a safe environment to transition into adulthood with gradual exposure to all kinds of things, rather than turning 18 and suddenly being a different category of person entirely.

Re: France passes bill to ban social media use by under-15s

#59

Post by quotemstr »

Mordisquitos wrote: post #34
mary-ext wrote: post #14

I've noticed that there's a decent amount of people who had benefitted having access to computer and internet really early on that seemed to be pro on banning teen access to social media, is there a reason why? the social media of today don't seem all that much different from the internet forums of back in the day if algorithmic amplification is the reason then I'm not sure why social media as a whole has to be banne…

The people who benefited from having access to a computer and the internet early on had no access to social media. Also, nobody is banning under 15s from having access to a computer and the internet.

This site is social media. Should under 15s be prevented discussing developers in the tech industry?

No? On what grounds? HN uses opaque feed ranking algorithms. It's run by a for-profit US tech company. It uses dark patterns (e.g. shadowbans and unwired "flag" links) that prompt users to engage under false pretenses.

It even has advertisements. The horror!

Yet nobody serious says HN is harmful to the fledging minor technologist.

I've yet to see a logical rule allowing minors to access HN but prohibiting their scrolling Instagram. Every demarcation scheme I've seen is some variant of "big company bad", which is a ridiculous standard for a law intended to prevent the harms that the "structure* of a medium (as opposed to the identity of its owners) produces.

In a nation of laws, an act is allowed or prohibited based on the nature of the act itself. Actors don't get special privileges based on who they are.

Re: France passes bill to ban social media use by under-15s

#60

Post by suspended_state »

krainboltgreene wrote: post #7

This kind of legislation is frankly just bad. Any TV station in america could have broadcasted the worst things in the world to thousands of people affecting their lives together. You know how we handled that? Legislation on the broadcasters. We didn't stop kids from watching TV.

How do you compare a system where the communication channel goes only one way in a single country to a system where everyone potentially contributes to the content and is distributed over the world?

How does one country legislate the content of a company based in another country?

Do you think that censorship is a better solution?

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