AIBU to find a girl's comment about social media quite sad

Essentially the government have, quite rightly, pushed responsibility on to parents. If a child is getting round the ban and looking at social media now, the 'well all my friends do' argument no longer washes. A parent can categorically state that it's banned. So if a child continues to access it, the only people to blame are the parents for not putting sufficient controls in place.

It's a win/win for the government. They can't lose.

It is so sad OP. When I was a kid - 1980's, I played on computer games when I was stuck indoors due to the weather. Most of the time I was out playing with friends. I know which generation had it better.

I watched the BBC 1 news coverage and the silly girl who when asked what she could do with the 9 hours that she had been on SM replied "Stare at a wall" 🙄

I'm not sure they've realised details of how the ban will be implemented, have they? There will probably always be some technological loophole though. It will probably still rely, in part, on parents actually looking out for and educating their children.

It is really sad.

My DS, aged nearly 12, was at a school event recently where they needed to be signed in and out by an adult. So many kids had brought smartphones with them - why?! Many ended up using them for a good chunk of the event because "it was so boring - what else were we supposed to do?" (my kid did not bring a phone but of course was watching some other boy play a game 🙄). When I suggested that they could have talked to one another instead, he said "It's not the 1960s mum"!!

I'm hoping that a ban will instigate a cultural shift, leading to us not being afraid to say that phones are not permitted at parties, sleepovers, events etc (and even make it less acceptable for adults to mindlessly scroll when they're in company). Currently, it can feel like overstepping when you think about imposing that kind of rule.

One downside though is that children who are excluded by others for being 'different' might have a much harder time finding community, if they are reliant on online communities.

Possibly a daft question - but can't anyone get round this using a VPN?

Probably the best thing this governments ever done

My kids are younger but one of them is already saying their friends are going to find a way round it… utterly bizarre. My kids are not allowed on SM.

Agree completely. I think there are some concerns with the ban but this is the biggest issue of all for me with kids and social media, more important even than the risks of sexual abuse, grooming and bullying.

Its the fact that social media is breeding a nation of zombies who can’t use their brains anymore.

It’s just the way they’ll feel for now.
My then teen dc said the same when their school banned the use of phones during lunch/break times. Within about 2 weeks they were sitting playing card games etc with their friends instead of sat side by side noses in phones.
they’ll get used to it and find there’s LOADS to do!

Phone zombie is a brilliant description OP.
I hope you weren't hurt.

I agree with you OP.

It definitely reinforces the argument for banning social media for the under 16s.

Personally I find the number of people - I'm talking adults here -walking down the street looking at their phones really disturbing. And seeing even young children doing the same is horrible.