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 think/hope this will fave the biggest impact at primary school age where I think it is ridiculous that kids are currently able/allowed to access SM.

Do we have any information on how and when this is going to be implemented? In theory I think it’s a great idea but I think it’s a bit of a non starter in terms how it might actually work in practice.

But to be fair, where does the BBC say bluesky won't be included? It doesn't.

Important to note that Bluesky isn't banned for minors in Australia. Reason is not lefty whatever, but because Bluesky has implemented age restrictions itself which comply with the Australian laws.

BS already has age-related restrictions in the UK, so if it beefs them up to comply with further legislation, no need for a ban.

If other sites did the same, there would be no need to introduce bans.

None of that is as click worthy as claiming the Government is not banning a "lefty" site, though.

Which content is more suitable for under-18, evolutionary theory or creationism? Or maybe none?

Agreed. If only there was a way of banning some parents from access to SM as well.

It's not restricting content though, it's a blanket ban?

He's focused on the wrong issues
Make the Streets safe ..that's starmers job
He's interfering with parenting, because it's easier than tackling knife crime

Where does it say that? Can you quote, as I've read the article twice and that isn't how I read it.

In official PR:

In a move to protect children online and address the scale of the challenge, the government will also go further than a blanket ban on social media

www.gov.uk/government/news/social-media-to-be-banned-for-under-16s-in-landmark-government-move-to-givekids-their-childhood-back

Sorry, I was asking for a quote from the article which you linked to previously. You mentioned that the article referenced a blanket ban on certain news regarding Ukraine and Gaza and not merely restrictions for those who had chosen not to verify their ages. I'm interested in knowing exactly which bit of the article led you to draw that conclusion?

It wasn't me who linked that article. Anyway, the new legislation is a blanket ban, not the suppression of info which has been in place for many years, even before covid.

It's a very different story now. Manipulating information is not democratic, controlling access is authoritarian, the next step towards totalitarian state.

I stand corrected, it was indeed another poster who linked the article in question. Apologies, I was confused as you seemed to be responding to my response.

I think we are talking at crossed purposes now, as I was responding to a pp's assertion that we were being prevented from accessing specific news content.

You seem to be talking about the new social media ban for under 16s? I think that's a very different discussion, personally. As I've already stated further up the thread, I am not personally in favour of a complete ban and I think there would have been better ways of protecting our young people from the potential harms that have been identified. That said, my objections aren't based on concerns around digital ID or age verification. I just don't think a blanket ban is necessarily the best way of us keeping our young people safe.

WhatsApp is where most of the bullying takes place in my school. They really don't need to communicate that much. A phone call when necessary would be much more beneficial. Think of when we were young. We didn't need to be using WhatsApp!

You should have an issue with it, it's a really serious invasion of privacy.

It was mentioned on the BBC news today. As you say it's safer than other social media sites.

My grandson has a tablet for his homework. You tube has been deleted his parents are aware what he's doing because he works at the kitchen island when meals are being prepared.

He complains that X friend watched a 15 or 18 movie last night why don't they. He's 9 as are his classmates. It's grim.

As for Snapchat and tik tok my youngest 18 at the time said don't install it mum it's really bad.

If Blue Sky already ban children then there would be no reason NOT to include them in the ban.

watching 15 or 18 movies doesn’t require Social Media. You can watch them on BBC iplayer.

Does anybody else think that this policy was scribbled down this weekend on the back of a cereal packet for Morgan McSweeny to turn into a speech to make Keir look as if he is doing something decisive?

Listening to R4 today, it seems to have taken a fair few experts (who’d been working with Keir) by surprise that it has been rushed out this weekend.

I see that Bluesky is now on the “naughty list” of banned sites.

I’m not sure how they are going to implement this without making ALL social media users go through age verification checks.

I’m not sure how they are going to implement this without making ALL social media users go through age verification checks.

That's the whole point of all this! 😂 so no, it wasn't scribbled down last minute.

If anyone thinks this will make any difference then you are very stuck in your little middle class hand wringing bubble and are just giving big brother/big tech even more power and control

I think it’s a good thing. My daughter was relentlessly bullied via SM at school and has only returned to just Instagram for work purposes now that she’s in her twenties. My son is 15 and autistic and Snapchat in particular has been awful, regardless of the care I take with his use. He will unfortunately be 16 before this ban comes into place but working in a primary school and seeing how toxic SM is for young kids, I am pleased that this is being done. It’ll be difficult to police though 🤷🏻‍♀️

The interesting thing is that many of the parents of young children now and in the future will use grown up with social media themselves and in a very different world to the current generation of parents to teenagers and the government so will have very different views and culture around it.

I know of kids as young as 9 accessing snap chat (permitted by their parents) and being sent dick pics.
I think Snapchat is the worst of them all and I wouldn’t allow any child on it.

Dick pics are being sent on WhatsApp but apparently it's OK 🤷‍♀️

Both are wrong. Children as young as this have no business on social media.