Australia begins enforcing world-first teen social media ban • Hacker News Board

Re: Australia begins enforcing world-first teen social media ban

#111

Post by riversflow » Wed, Dec 10, 2025, 5:47 PM UTC

rcMgD2BwE72F wrote: post #72

Why ban social media when ad-supported media is the culprit? Remove the incentive (to get users to doom scroll, to polarize, to impulse buy…) and you change the behavior. I remember when social media was sane 15+ years ago. The problem is the business model, not socializing. It's crazy to ban it when being a teen is the beginning of socializing!

I long thought this way, but I’ve realized ad-supported social media/internet is an objectively egalitarian funding path that has allowed the open web to thrive and flourish. If you have a way of funding the internet that doesn’t shut out literally Billions because they cant afford it, I’m all ears.

Complaining about ads is kinda like complaining about homeless people. You are just servicing your own annoyance without actually engaging in critical thought. It is selfish behavior.

Re: Australia begins enforcing world-first teen social media ban

#112

Post by mckirk » Wed, Dec 10, 2025, 5:47 PM UTC

yifanl wrote: post #84

barbazoo wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How come ad supported TV existed for decades without destroying children's mental health? The algorithms create the engagement, the engagement lures in the ads, not the other way around, at least that's what I think right now.

Well arguably TV did destroy people's brains, just a lot slower and less efficiently. And in fairness, dosage is the difference between a painkiller an a heroin addiction.

"Do you or a loved one suffer from an abundance of brain cells? Speak to your doctor today about whether The Jersey Shore might be right for you!"

Re: Australia begins enforcing world-first teen social media ban

#113

Post by TimByte » Wed, Dec 10, 2025, 5:47 PM UTC

nephihaha wrote: post #56

There is a pattern of government using moral panics to exert greater control. Australia and New Zealand seem to be used as a testbed for projects which are introduced elsewhere. The UK government wishes to police social media more heavily, and has been using internet porn and illegal immigration (two unrelated issues) to push through digital ID. The exact same mentality - controversy, panic, dubious solution... In th…

The offline-socializing point is good, but it's also a cultural shift that won't magically happen because a law is passed. If anything, the hard part is rebuilding the offline spaces and social norms that used to make that easy.

Re: Australia begins enforcing world-first teen social media ban

#114

Post by gentooflux » Wed, Dec 10, 2025, 5:48 PM UTC

chistev wrote: post #109

mullingitover wrote: post #71

Florida passed a similar law, and a bunch of other states are attempting to but are blocked by federal courts. Will be interesting to see if the tech industry allows it, or decides to break up the federal government before it becomes too powerful.

Break up the federal government?

I believe they're implying that there's an unhealthy amount of regulatory capture in favor of big tech

Re: Australia begins enforcing world-first teen social media ban

#115

Post by trinsic2 » Wed, Dec 10, 2025, 5:48 PM UTC

Although I think that social media causes issues with underdeveloped brains, If this is about confirming age at the point of login, then this is really about identifying everyone and not protecting children. If this is the case, you know they are going to use this data to target people for speech related things.

Re: Australia begins enforcing world-first teen social media ban

#116

Post by estimator7292 » Wed, Dec 10, 2025, 5:49 PM UTC

chistev wrote: post #109

mullingitover wrote: post #71

Florida passed a similar law, and a bunch of other states are attempting to but are blocked by federal courts. Will be interesting to see if the tech industry allows it, or decides to break up the federal government before it becomes too powerful.

Break up the federal government?

We're already on the fast track to becoming an authoritarian state. It's not too much of a stretch to imagine the next step is dissolving congress and installing a new constitution. Or just throwing it out entirely and defining the law of the land on the whims of a senile man

Re: Australia begins enforcing world-first teen social media ban

#117

Post by barbazoo » Wed, Dec 10, 2025, 5:49 PM UTC

MomsAVoxell wrote: post #66

NoPicklez wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like what? Kids not being able to do particular things until they're of age? That's much of an egregious violation of their civil rights.

Kids not being informed about the war crimes of their state, and other states.

> Kids not being informed about the war crimes

Interesting to frame this as a bad thing. As a parent, I would take that as a feature, not a bug. To me this is very suspicious why there seem to be so many people here, who I am assuming are mostly adults, advocating so strongly strongly for <16 olds told be on social media, as if it was something they need.

Re: Australia begins enforcing world-first teen social media ban

#118

Post by rusk » Wed, Dec 10, 2025, 5:49 PM UTC

chistev wrote: post #109

mullingitover wrote: post #71

Florida passed a similar law, and a bunch of other states are attempting to but are blocked by federal courts. Will be interesting to see if the tech industry allows it, or decides to break up the federal government before it becomes too powerful.

Break up the federal government?

It was a clever riff on the current situation where business tells government

Re: Australia begins enforcing world-first teen social media ban

#119

Post by renewiltord » Wed, Dec 10, 2025, 5:49 PM UTC

Now, all we have to do is mandate that you pass a psychiatric test in order to use social media or LLMs. In this way, we can protect the mentally disabled. People are killing themselves after going on sites like Reddit. It's too dangerous to the mentally disabled.

Re: Australia begins enforcing world-first teen social media ban

#120

Post by ipaddr » Wed, Dec 10, 2025, 5:49 PM UTC

These platforms are heavy censored with a direct line to governments. This will push kids to other platforms with less censorship. That's a major benefit.

As we go down this road platforms will need to be banned for everyone. For example VK wasn't on the list and they won't implement age checks. They and many other sites will need to be banned until you are left with a white list of acceptance sites. Add in age verification on those sites for everyone.

Kids will learn how to overcome the ban. VPNs will become the standard.