Today’s Social Media Ban Announcement: Discussion

[ByeByeTikTok]

I haven’t seen a thread for today’s expected ban on social media for Under 16s so thought I’d start one. If there already is one pls link and I’ll get this deleted.

What will it likely include?
What won’t it include?
How do you and your kids feel about it, especially if they’re already using it?
Will you follow it, and when?
Will people try to get round it?

I admit I’m not a parent but having seen the impact of social media on kids I think it’s a good thing.

My 8 year old niece begs me for a skincare routine, asks for retinol and the various acids, says she’s too fat, says she’s not good enough at dancing, etc etc.

From our perspective, I’m really hopeful it’s coming in full and thankful that our kids are not engrained enough for changes to be a struggle.

We have DS14 who doesn’t use SM much, a bit of snap chat for reels… masked as “chatting to friends”… but basically doom scrolling. He’ll have no issue losing access if that happens but a lot of his friends are very heavy users and will find it hard, especially as they like to chat with random kids they don’t know through each others contacts.

We also have DD11 and I’m really glad that hopefully SM won’t be a part of her life until later. We are already seeing it cause problems among friends of her age who have access through siblings.

I do hope what’s app is still available as they still need to communicate. I hope that the “parent managed accounts” also have to go.

Interested what others think, especially those with kids U16 who already use heavily and see it as part of their identity.

I’m not sure how I feel about it, on one hand I think unrestricted access is dangerous on the other I worry that it will shift some problems to the 18-25 group especially as a ban doesn’t replace good adult guidance. Also teens without access to social media and without boundaries could be a problem.

Honestly in theory I think it’s a great idea.

but unfortunately in practice- we are in general a poor generation of parents who give devices to children to keep them quiet.
“mum can I have your iPad mum mum mum “ and the child will have mums iPad with no restrictions.

and the government will have spent a fortune trying to sort it.

🤷‍♂️

I’m very pleased personally. These are technologies designed to be addictive and purposely so for money. The algorithm serves up more extreme content since that what keeps people watching. Kids are getting served harmful content after a short time on social media. It’s displacing in person interaction, and the chance to develop longer focus and attention on other pursuits. Before we even begin wider conversations about democracy, misinformation, foreign actor interference.

Platforms and algorithms are controlled by a small number of billionaires and whistleblowers have by now shown that the current corporate governance structures aren’t working. Keir showing a backbone and standing for something here.

This is my concern, the children who are on devices because the parent/s are avoiding parenting will still be without that and that really will need addressing, they aren’t suddenly going to skip out making daisy chains and actually having a childhood instead they’ll be bored and unparented just without a screen.

How can it be implemented? The apps have a minimum age use current try but children still use them as they’re just registered with a different date of birth. This will still require parental input to manage - which is the current issue!

I have a 7 year old and I'm pleased. It's abundantly obvious social media is terrible for children, and a ban gives parents a strong reason to forbid it. Hopefully it will act as a social norms push to influence parents who don't really care, and they will stop their children having social media/smartphones too.

So, everyone will have to prove their age and then parents will just pass the phone to the kid after verification. Sounds like a great plan.

Yes there will be some who do this, I can’t see how it will work I think unfortunately it’s too late. For too long there’s been access for children and we will now have ones like you describe who are given an adults phone, some will struggle hugely at the sudden loss as they are addicted, others may seem unaffected but then at 16/18 whenever they can access it they will be unprepared and will have effects then from harmful content

My DC are 15 and 13 now. It won't affect the 15 year old as by the time it becomes law he'll be 16. Honestly, I think it probably wont impact the 13 (then 14 year old) that much as I think it will be too ingrained in their group and I pick my battles. I also think it's obvious that there will always be parents who will verify for their kids and not care that it's illegal.

Where I think it will be really beneficial is that it will stop the universality of SM use from increasingly young ages and the presumption that everyone has it. It will be easier for parents to push back. It will benefit the kids who are not on SM yet.

(bit like smoking restrictions impacted uptake more than quitting).

I have a 10 year old that hasnt got a phone yet so for me its perfect timing and im very happy about it

I think only the naïve truly believe this is 'for the children,' as, historically, freedom becomes eroded by just giving it away in the name of 'safety'.

This thread will only aggravate me and make me despair so nothing further to add.

First few technically savvy teens will have found a loophole by lunchtime.

Mine ir primary school aged and I'm thrilled.

Of course kids will find workarounds, and some parents will facilitate those workarounds. But it will shift what's considered normal vs deadbeat parenting in the direction of no social media before 16.

It will make it so much easier for ne to say no, which I had planned to do anyway. But the weight of social norms, it will be better. My opinion, obvs, very strongly positive from me.

Yes I think for this age group it will be easier. The current secondary age group I think we will see some quite significant MH issues as I honestly believe some are completely addicted.

When is it likely to kick in?

I think it is great news, hopefully the wrinkles will be ironed out quickly

There’s no point discussing the current generation they are already ruined and nothing will change for them but hopefully by the time the children of ages 6 and below are teenagers we will see the benefit. It’s about time the government took this seriously and prevent harm for future generations

They are. The way most teens behave around phone restrictions is akin to addiction in terms of them spending a disproportionate amount of energy trying to get around the restrictions/ being devious/ risking massive consequences (e.g. fixed term suspension for having phone at school) just to maintain their snap streak etc. These platforms are designed to be addictive. I've sat in meetings where tech companies openly admit this - they just call it "user engagement".

I've also seen first hand the way SM just amplifies all the usual teen drama and makes it 10x worse.

We’ve never given our teenager access to social media, and that’s not uncommon amongst her friendship circle. I think it’s a good thing and lo and behold, Instagram and the like are suddenly advertising their new teen accounts with added controls. Regulation works!

I think the Government need to butt the fuck out.
I already get fined if I want to take my children on holiday at a time where I can afford to take them. Now they're banning something else. They can let me parent my own children.

It feels like an overreach but equally there are constant complaints about how someone government/ tech companies need to keep children safer and protect them online. Ultimately the buck should stop with the parents but so many simply do not parent their children on the online world and now the government are forced to step in.

Correct. They have in Australia. We’ve had it here for about 6 months or so and I still think it’s bullshit. All it’s done is to give the government power to spy on people more and to make us hand over proof of identity for access to various platforms.

I’m interested to see what support will be offered to the first children affected by this. As I said before I don’t disagree with the ban but there’s a large group who will have something they are using a lot abruptly removed and they’ll need a lot of support.