China and our children. AIBU to be deeply concerned?

[Concerningalgorithms]

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?

So you want to stop the free market?

You understand how algorithms work right? They tailor our content to what we watch. Unless you turn tracking off. So one of two things happen - you opt in and get content you engage in. You opt out and you get random stuff. All things we control.

I wouldn’t do anything. What you’re proposing exists already.

I understand algorithms quite well, but I don't write them on a day to day basis anymore. What I'm suggesting would mean that different algorithms were written, this would tailor content differently.
We don't currently have a truly free market (i.e. absolutely no government regulation), I'm happy with that in concept but details are important. As I've said I would be happy with the regulations I've outlined above.
I do respect the opinion that markets should be completely unregulated by government but it's not one I share. It would be a different world, certainly! The banks would have actually failed in 2008 for example.
I'm getting strong Colin Robinson vibes from you right now so that's the last I'll say.

So you want to regulate social media to keep people who safe when they’re only on it because parents have facilitated access?

I’m just matching rude with rude.

I wasn’t rude. You just don’t like being challenged.

All modern gaming is clearly highly addictive! It's so involved, fast and full of excitement. Taking your child away, they need a bit of time to switch to reality and come down, especially a ND child. Yes it is a high and that's why too long isn't recommended. I've read some articles that suggest overuse can be related to brain aneurysms as the intensity raises blood pressure. Xx

“If you don’t have a basic understanding of why they are different this is a pointless conversation.”

”your education clearly hasn’t expanded to…’

Rude.

lol. So the internet is as addictive and as illegal as a Class A drug 🤣

*There have been articles about this on The Independent, The Guardian and other non US sources. It’s not bias. It’s fact that there is this different version of TT with different algorithms.

And to be clear, I am not blaming China, I’m curious as to why they are doing that and seeing it within the wider geopolitical landscape and it concerns me.*

WHY? First it’s not just China it is every SM company that hosts a platform that supports user videos.

The why is intellectual property rights. Those algorithms embedded in the social media platforms are not open source code but are the intellectual property of the company that created them. A competitor whether within the same country or internationally is legally requiresd to write their own algorithms.

Your question could apply to US boy bands vs Chinese boy bands or K pop bands as to why do they use different music? And yes, even though all the boy bands are equally pervasive and equally sexualise young minds of preteen girls, the fact that their music is different isn’t some plot by non western boy bands to gradually turn western pre teens into 16yr old sex addicts.

The different alogorithms are a result of intellectual property rights and law, which are international btw, and music falls under them too. Look up how many times and from how many countries Ed Sheeran has had to fight lawsuits alleging he stole someone else’s music.

Your tone was matched.

"The science is there"
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

We will have to agree to disagree.

Shit reading comprehension or do you just like saying everything is racist? "The nation lacks compassion towards it's people" she is clearly talking about the government not the people.
Hell I don't even agree with the op that chinas websites/apps and motives are any worse than American websites/apps motives.
But damn let the op voice her concerns. There is nothing racist about worrying about the motives of one of the most powerful countries on earth

With respect, you have either misinterpreted or haven’t read all of my posts. You have missed some points and have missed me saying that I know that it’s all SM. I’ve mentioned China because of the article, the geopolitical landscape currently and concern that we are falling asleep at the wheel. It’s a two level concern that I have.

1. the health and well-being of our country’s children (apart from those with the best resourced parents) because of the addictive nature of some SM, games and devices and that lots of children’s parents don’t, won’t and/or can’t tackle this.
2. what this means for us as a nation as our global economic and political status diminishes and other countries are flexing their military muscles and thumbing their nose at us.

The article about China prompted this as their strategy to control children's access to unhelpful and addictive algorithms is unlikely to be a benign love for children and more likely to be strategic towards the explicitly stated aim to dominate. I don’t blame them for this, but I would like to see us sitting up and paying more attention to this for individual and national interests.

The point you make that the ‘why’ might just be a benign property rights thing is true. But that’s not the strategy, or the reasons. That just the set up that allows it to happen, which I don’t have a problem with, obviously.

I am not in favour of totalitarianism and believe in free choice but I also feel we should collectively nurture children as they represent our collective future (and because I care deeply about human beings and their welfare.

I don’t have the answers but suspect that we could do more to insist that companies consider their end users wellbeing more.

I really have no idea what legislation would help but cigarettes now have to have warnings on them. There are rules that SM companies have to inform you fully about your data and what they do with its. So, like cigarettes have to have a bold warning on them, gambling providers have to talk about ‘safety’, - platforms and games that have utilised scientific understanding to create devices, apps and platforms that are addictive, could be made to put a warning in.

I don’t know, there are people with more expertise than me that could come up with the checks and balances. We could use scientific understanding to guide that as much as it’s used to guide maximising profit may be? But profit won’t lead you there so policy and legislation would be needed.

What I do know is that if we just leave it to individual parent choice, without a lot more education, there will continue to be swathes of children and young people whose development is somewhat compromised. And this compromises the future of the country.

Love the Colin Robinson reference.

You are aware that you keep repeating yourself over and over and have ignored all challenges and addressed none of the points made? Your tone is condescending. Patronising.

What was the point of this? You keep parading China as an example even though their controls are in line with a government that controls the press. We cannot maintain freedom and roll put their approach.

also - you do know teenage mode is available elsewhere right? But as with everything will require parents to implement. Which they won’t if the aren’t already using the multitude of controls we have.

You’re not wrong OP, but I don’t get why you’re blaming just China, California is the home of most social media and are responsible for pushing most of this toxic crap.

Because her source is US media. Which shock horror is bashing its competitor.

What would you do to address the issue?

Except if you read my actual words I’m not blaming China for anything. Even if it was a plan to dumb us down and gain an advantage, what goes around comes around [points to opiate wars].

My point is that we are not paying enough attention to this.

Again, we will have to just agree to disagree. We have been around this cycle before 😊

Says who?

Agree to disagree on what? You have been asked over and over what should be done and nothing.

I disagree with that. I’ve put forward a few possible ideas. I’ve also said I can see the problem but not necessarily the best solutions as that’s not my area of expertise.

Me.

I’ve read all your comments and cannot see any suggestions.

you’ve compared to things that are not comparable and become rude when it’s explained to you why not.

Actual real practical suggestions, there have been none. But also a complete refusal to acknowledge there are things in place but it relies on parents to take control. Also, I’ve asked twice. Let’s address the real scope of the issue with tik tok. Percentage of kids with it?