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UK Brings in Full Social Media Ban for Under-16s

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Re: UK Brings in Full Social Media Ban for Under-16s

#81

Post by ozlikethewizard »

adityamwagh wrote: post #48
budududuroiu wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> As a parent, I completely agree. What's stopping you from doing this so far? Handing a child a smartphone is a decision parents can make, withholding access to a smartphone is also a decision parents can make.

They will want a smartphone if their friends have it.

And they'll probably want brand new Nike trainers and a mercedes as their first car, when did saying no to your own kids become such an issue? Explain why they can't have a smartphone, dont patronise them, give them a date of when they can have a smartphone, and let them get on with it.

Re: UK Brings in Full Social Media Ban for Under-16s

#82

Post by guilhas »

> “Children will be given back their childhoods,”

Taking options away from children will not make their lives better just by itself

And this social media ban might only move the conversation to less transparent channels

WhatsApp and Telegram know more about children than their parents

And child can still spend all doing unhealthy stuff. YouTube kids is addictive enough, at home watching Netflix, playing video games, tablet/phone addictive games...

So the only real solution is force companies to provide better parental controls, maybe aided by AI

And force companies to add better controls/defaults for the population in general to reduce addictive features

Re: UK Brings in Full Social Media Ban for Under-16s

#83

Post by christkv »

n4r9 wrote: post #51
maccard wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don’t need a pihole. iOS and android both have parental controls that are very simple to use.

I'd be astonished if 14 and 15 year olds don't know workarounds for iOS and android child controls.

Its harder than you think and no "state" ban will work if the 14-15 year old is smart enough to get around the child locks at the os level either. Next they will ban VPN just wait for it.

Re: UK Brings in Full Social Media Ban for Under-16s

#85

Post by ghusto »

So much ambivalence.

On the one hand: _Some_ kind of action is long overdue. For once "protect the children" is actually a valid argument (we should protect the adults too, but baby-steps ...).

On the other hand: Technical people can see this is going nowhere good.

Re: UK Brings in Full Social Media Ban for Under-16s

#86

Post by a13o »

richsouth wrote: post #73
aledevv wrote: post #7

> “Children will be given back their childhoods,” As a parent, I completely agree. We need to protect children from the dangers of the completely uncontrolled "jungle" of social media. But above all, we need to give children back the right to experience a true, real childhood, made up of true friends, fresh air, friendships, and real relationships!

Because they're all going to go outside and skip and run and jump and skim stones rather than sitting in a darkened room playing Fortnite.

According to one poll, 75% of them will, yes

https://wtop.com/lifestyle/2025/08/what-kids-say-it-would-ta...

Re: UK Brings in Full Social Media Ban for Under-16s

#87

Post by ghusto »

guilhas wrote: post #82

> “Children will be given back their childhoods,” Taking options away from children will not make their lives better just by itself And this social media ban might only move the conversation to less transparent channels WhatsApp and Telegram know more about children than their parents And child can still spend all doing unhealthy stuff. YouTube kids is addictive enough, at home watching Netflix, playing video games,…

> So the only real solution is force companies to provide better parental controls

Parental controls require parents. Many "parents" don't seem to be interested. So in my opinion the only real solution is to get parents to parent.

As an aside: > Taking options away from children will not make their lives better just by itself

As someone who grew up with fewer options, I disagree. It was precisely because I had so few options that I explored (both physically and mentally).

Re: UK Brings in Full Social Media Ban for Under-16s

#89

Post by thefz »

aledevv wrote: post #7

> “Children will be given back their childhoods,” As a parent, I completely agree. We need to protect children from the dangers of the completely uncontrolled "jungle" of social media. But above all, we need to give children back the right to experience a true, real childhood, made up of true friends, fresh air, friendships, and real relationships!

Controversial, but I think that giving to everyone a computer connected to the internet - be it PDA-sized or any other form - was a mistake, and everything happened so fast that no one could control what was going on.

I say it was a mistake because for the generation grown with BBS and 14.4k modems the dangers of an open network were evident and real from the start, even if at the time they were minuscule in comparison to now. Those born with an always on, always connected device already in their hands lacked this awareness from the start.

Re: UK Brings in Full Social Media Ban for Under-16s

#90

Post by thefz »

scandox wrote: post #53
budududuroiu wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> As a parent, I completely agree. What's stopping you from doing this so far? Handing a child a smartphone is a decision parents can make, withholding access to a smartphone is also a decision parents can make.

Enormous, unrelenting social pressure? A crying child telling you that they're completely cut off from their peers and social group? Day after day of arguments and pleading? Schools and scout groups and extra-curriculars that tacitly require your child to have a Facebook or WhatsApp account? And much much more!

I know plenty of people with teen and younger kids who give access to a computer, but it's only at home. When at school or whatever else, there's only a dumbphone. I think this strikes a nice balance.
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