AIBU to think banning social media for under-16s is a good idea?

[LizardLore]

Just being announced now - social media banned for under-16s.

My instinct is it’s great, but I am interested in other views. My kids are very small so not an issue here yet.

YABU - the ban is bad
YANBU - the ban is good

I personally would be focussed on only allowing under 16s to have a very basic phone that couldn’t link to the internet.

Then internet could be managed by parents in the home with appropriate filters and school etc

If that were possible it would happen now, there’s plenty of filters available and most social media is supposed to be 13+ and younger kids are still accessing inappropriate content.

I think a lot of adults even don’t understand how algorithms work and how quickly on social media you can end up being fed some very dark stuff without actually trying.

I would not.

My teens ( now early 20s) have/had active social lives and I think smart phones were very useful.

We had large reductions in bus ticket prices if you use the app. And as theyhad to get a couple of buses each way, that was very handy. They used their phones to open lockers at karate class and at swimming at the gym. Maps and transport apps to get around - especially when stuff changes , cancelled trains etc. Tickets for just about anything, paying for stuff, loyalty discounts, booking a haircut, so much easier using an app.

No social media does not mean no smart phone.

Can’t really see kids being interested in the things people talk about here.

But they could learn that adults also have problems, some adults are less mature than themselves, and how to make one chicken feed a family for a week.

I agree, adding Social Media to the list sounds fairly innocuous, but it's the impact on other users that concerns me.

Any adult who wishes to continue to access SM on the restricted list, will have to do an age check that will include personal information that identifies you, and according to the AI and Technology minister may include having to share your passport details.

Are you prepared to share this data with companies that have repeatedly been fined hundreds of millions of pounds for breaches to personal data protection legislation?

You are missing the point.

None of those restrictions make it necessary for UK adults to subsribe to digital ID and to share this ID with any social media platform they want to access.

The reason for the backlash is because this is about Digital ID through the back door using child 'mental health' as an excuse to push it through.

This will not stop VB putting her daughter into the media spotlight via SM.

Why are so many people clueless about what is being proposed?

Just a thought, would this mean mea. Having a family photo of your children would be illegal under the new laws?

i think it's a good idea. i'd also support banning smart phones in schools. and i'd like schools to backtrack on the massive, aggressive expansion of iPads in classes too - we all talk about screen time concerns, but my daughter's school is the one teaching PE from YouTube, music lessons from YouTube, they've even had drawing lessons on YouTube - it's gone completely over the top. when i asked the school what apps my 5 year old had been signed up to exactly, i got a list of 11 they could confirm.. but she's mentioned 3 more on top! Including using AI tools to generate images during class time! This is in the Scottish Borders Council area.

This seems to be "normal" in the council schools where I am, but I'm appalled at what's happening. I'm not from here originally. my local council has brushed off concerns from a number of parents that i've heard have complained, now i've started to pay more attention to what's happening.

THAT is an equally big problem to tackle alongside the problems with kids being glued to their smartphones and bullied on social media. if i can't control what's happening during school hours, what chance have parents got outside of that??