Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

China and our children. AIBU to be deeply concerned?

420 replies

Concerningalgorithms · 02/04/2024 07:39

I read this article and am so concerned. So many of our kids are on TT.

https://nypost.com/2023/02/25/china-is-hurting-us-kids-with-tiktok-but-protecting-its-own/amp/

Basically, TT and other SM have the same effect on our brain as addictive substances such as heroine. Developers know this and create highly addictive (make use of our knowledge of the reward centre in our brain), apps/platforms/games that leave us with dopamine crashes when we can’t have it. So that tantrum or meltdown when we say ‘turn screens off now’ is partly, if not mostly, to do with that, is one example.

The article above says that China use different algorithms there for TT so it is helpful for children’s development. They are peddling addictive, concentration lowering crap to children around the world, but protecting their own children.

Why are we allowing this? Why are we not protecting our children too? The science is there.

And AIBU to think that we are at risk, as a country, of raising a generation that will be less well adapted and more vulnerable in the future to a hostile take over?

China is hurting our kids with TikTok but protecting its own youth with Douyin

TikTok is burrowing into the devices — and the brains — of teens and tweens around the world. But, as the app’s Beijing-based parent company Bytedance is aggressively exporting the social media equ…

https://nypost.com/2023/02/25/china-is-hurting-us-kids-with-tiktok-but-protecting-its-own/amp/

OP posts:
cemetery · 02/04/2024 10:27

Otherstories2002 · 02/04/2024 10:15

Now that is unmanageable. Wait till they start secondary school. Or even primary. They need the internet to log on to their classrooms.

Show quote history

They will learn IT competence in schools. Don't want or need my kid exposed to degeneracy or to get groomed.

HelloMiss · 02/04/2024 10:20

Op read an article and then becomes an expert in the Brains neural pathways!! 😂

iloveeverykindofcat · 02/04/2024 10:19

@Otherstories2002 nothing that proves it (hence stated as opinion) but plenty that sways me to think so. Can't link now as I'm ironically on my mobile, to which I'm moderately addicted myself, but I'll do it later if you're really interested

Nousernamesleftatall · 02/04/2024 10:16

I do protect my kids. They don’t have SM.

Otherstories2002 · 02/04/2024 10:15

cemetery · 02/04/2024 10:07

My kids will never be given any sort of internet access. TV and books will suffice.

Now that is unmanageable. Wait till they start secondary school. Or even primary. They need the internet to log on to their classrooms.

JPGR · 02/04/2024 10:10

Isn't all social media addictive in some way or another? I am sitting here scrolling through Mumsnet when I should be changing the beds. Like it or not social media is here to stay. It is up to parents to monitor and control what their children watch.

cemetery · 02/04/2024 10:07

My kids will never be given any sort of internet access. TV and books will suffice.

user1477391263 · 02/04/2024 10:05

Totally agree.

All the arguments here against the OP - I'm old enough to remember the same arguments being made about things like smoking among teenagers. "Oh, you can't stop them" "Everyone else's kids will be doing it" "It's better to allow it and help them to moderate their smoking" "If you try to restrict it, it'll make it more attractive" "The kids whose parents come down hard on smoking will be the chain smokers in the long run, mark my words....."

cemetery · 02/04/2024 10:00

Have you considered not giving very young children iPads

dontcryformeargentina · 02/04/2024 09:59

OP , you watch too much propaganda Grin

pootlin · 02/04/2024 09:55

None of the social media companies care about their users, OP, whether they’re children or adults.

Do you really think Mark Zuckerberg or Meta wants to protect your kids?

Or that the CEO of YouTube cares about your kids or wants to protect them?

They all do what the law allows them to do.

They get away with what YOUR government allow them to get away with.

jengachampion · 02/04/2024 09:51

BabaBarrio · 02/04/2024 07:59

I do know enough to know that Tik Tok isn’t worse than Danyuin.

The addictive aspect of various SM sites and apps has been an embedded feature for over twenty years. This isn’t something new and was actually invented by and first implemented in the USA.

Show quote history

That’s not right actually. Addictive algorithms are explicitly banned in china due to their negative effects, which is why TikTok is banned but not Douyin.

SkyBloo · 02/04/2024 09:48

Tiktok and social media are completely banned for all the under 16s in my family

AssassinsEyebrow · 02/04/2024 09:46

Yanbu - western governments have been ignoring the risk from China for years because of the money they can make

Otherstories2002 · 02/04/2024 09:40

iloveeverykindofcat · 02/04/2024 09:18

I'm a sociologist and digital media is my interest. I spent a year studying TikTok.

I believe that the vast majority of teenagers, if given unlimited access, will eventually be unable to regulate their usage and yes, it's by design. I don't think it's part of some Chinese conspiracy of global domination. Just unfettered capitalism.

Can you source evidence to back that up please.

Otherstories2002 · 02/04/2024 09:39

Concerningalgorithms · 02/04/2024 07:57

It’s not just Chinese developed apps either of course, but they are wanting world domination, well the leaders are.

But more importantly, why are we allowing this to happen to our kids? Why aren’t we insisting on tighter controls?

We have tight controls. Parents. Some don’t bother. That’s on them.

Saschka · 02/04/2024 09:29

Concerningalgorithms · 02/04/2024 08:18

It is. But it’s also parents jobs to lots of things that they don’t manage to through lack of experience, lack of knowledge, lack of resources, laziness, or a million and one other reasons. We enforce education. Why not not other things that improve our chances of a well resourced workforce (to put the economic argument forward).

Show quote history

Lots of parents don’t do lots of things. Lots don’t provide decent meals - should we force everyone to eat in the state canteen, and close down McDonalds? Lots don’t provide appropriate, good quality clothing - should we force everyone to wear state uniforms?

Maybe just put children in state orphanages from birth, so they can be brought up in the approved way instead of letting lacklustre parents have their shoddy way. Then we can guarantee that bad parents aren’t doing wrong things like giving their children access to TikTok.

AlpineMuesli · 02/04/2024 09:19

Silicon Valley top brass do not allow their children smartphones/addictive apps.

Ask yourself what they know.

iloveeverykindofcat · 02/04/2024 09:18

I'm a sociologist and digital media is my interest. I spent a year studying TikTok.

I believe that the vast majority of teenagers, if given unlimited access, will eventually be unable to regulate their usage and yes, it's by design. I don't think it's part of some Chinese conspiracy of global domination. Just unfettered capitalism.

Alargeoneplease89 · 02/04/2024 09:16

Everyone is free to parent how they want. My children aren't allowed any social media until they are adults because I think it negatively affects their mental health.
Other people don't let their children's have phones- everyone is different and there should be no judgement on what others are allowed to do, it is simply up to the parents.

ASighMadeOfStone · 02/04/2024 09:15

Concerningalgorithms · 02/04/2024 08:25

Well that’s true. But are we happy to accept that or do we want to raise our game?

Show quote history

What do you suggest is done about China (who you aren't blaming) and Tiktok (which you seem to think is the only platform out there used by children)

Parents have their own rules.

(and trust me, there isn't a child in the land who can't get round that)

Schools have their own rules. (certain websites/platforms blocked on school WiFi etc)

(and trust me, there isn't a child ..you get the drift)

Are you suggesting the govt (already criticised for nanny stating and doing what parents seem incapable of doing in many cases) steps in?

You are so naive, you genuinely sound like it's your first day on dial up.

ASighMadeOfStone · 02/04/2024 09:11

OP says they aren't blaming China while literally blaming China in every post. 😏

AstralSpace · 02/04/2024 09:07

Grimchmas · 02/04/2024 09:00

I don't usually have any truck with conspiracy theories, but the permissions that the tiktok app gets you to give are... invasive. I'm a social media manager and I'm holding out against putting our brand's content on there because I truly don't think it's an ethical platform, for several reasons.

All the big social media sites know what they are doing though, in terms of addictive behaviour and algorithms, and whilst children are the worst affected adults aren't immune to the effects either. Video content on any platform is getting shorter for a reason.

My biggest advice to adults is to follow the examples of the creators and developers of social media platforms, and keep your children off them. As adults, use an app to limit your own time on them - no, your own willpower is likely to not be enough.

Yes. Us adults get addicted so what hope do kids have. The impact it's having on developing brains remains to be seen.
Too many kids cannot focus, cannot read a book, cannot watch a film. They're just watching TikTok and following YouTubers.
We do need to act.

SiousieSoo · 02/04/2024 09:05

Toastednut · 02/04/2024 08:21

It's very simple in my house - SM of all types - including Facebook, X, tik tok, Snapchat, Instagram - is banned for under 16s. There is no reason anyone under 16 should have access to these platforms at all.

You are incredibly out of touch if you truly do this and believe its ok to issue a blanket ban on SM for 14/15 year olds.

RadRad · 02/04/2024 09:03

China has its own SM platform problems OP, I was in Shanghai a while ago and went out for dinner with colleagues, they didn’t even look at the menu but just went on whichever platform they used at the time to browse for top 5 most ordered dishes and ordered that, and this is just a small example of the digital way of living I saw in the 10 days I was there.
I agree with the others that the parents are as addicted as their kids, I see so many parents glued to their phones on the playgrounds, it’s a sad reality and no amount of government intervention could change that wave for the time being I think. It’s ironically sad that tech people not just the moguls don’t allow these interactions for their kids, nor they allow any personal info posted on SM.