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

LizardLore Mumsnet hadn't occurred to me. Suppose we had an influx of children here, as it was one of the few places they could still gather. What could possibly go wrong, lol?

Not sure if it’s wrong that I don’t consider YouTube social media. Will this also be banned? I hope not.

I think it’s more akin to age restrictions for films or the 9pm watershed on tv programs, both those things are totally normal, why shouldn’t online content have similar restrictions?

Unless they can find a way to verify certain content for under 16 then yes, possibly, maybe they’ll work out a compromise of verified content.

Great idea.
its a long term policy-
people criticised smoking restrictions because they couldn’t understand how they would be effective and look how well that’s gone.

So true, I remember smoking in pubs & restaurants being totally normal and loads of people thought it would never work having the restrictions which feels like madness now!

It hasn't worked in Australia.
Those that want to use it just use parents accounts or fake accounts.
It should be parents choice not the government.

Because they cant make good law.
Look at the assisted dieing bill, I'm actually for euthanasia, however the leadbetter bill was a bin fire that would have caused so much harm and coerced deaths of predominantly vulnerable women and the disabled because of labour ideology and the inability of the party to make good laws that aren't liable to be expanded by activists using strategic lawsuits because of the loose language and the lack of appropriate or any safeguards.
When you take their record on laws and the continued authorian push from the left, along with the rush to push this bill and the potential for a Burnham premiership I am very concerned about any increase in censorship as I just don't trust them to do what's right for children instead of what's right for the labour party

But surely banning social media for children isn't going to be a solution for poor parenting?

The kind of parents who allow a 4yo to get addicted to youtube are not going to suddenly start parenting their dc simply because social media is banned?

But it is not just lazy parenting is it? There is also dysfunctional parenting. Young people who don’t have parents or guardians that give a damn.

Good parents already have control of their children’s internet use, whatever level they permit.

My 15 year old DGD does not have a smart phone. We are not some weird, luddite family,
we just wanted to protect her.

I agree that legislation shouldn't be rushed, but the idea is a good one. I think even the Tories support it in theory?

To be honest when my daughter was 4 she would have happily watched TV (regular old terrestrial tv as it was then) from the second she got up to all the way to bedtime.
Luckily I knew the TV had an off switch.

Hasn’t worked after… a year? 18 months?

will probably work for the next generation though

It’s not going to include WhatsApp, which I would argue is one of the most damaging platforms for young people. How exactly are they going to enforce my child watching stupid minecraft videos on YouTube?

I’m generally for a ban up to the age of about 14, but I worry that children won’t be taught safe usage of the internet. This is ‘cliff edge’ parenting, where things are completely banned until they are 16 and then they just go mad on the internet because they have no idea how to be sensible. My 12 year old has been taught to ignore/report trolls. Would a 16 year old who has never been allowed to online game know what to do?

Do you feel the same about over 18 films, alcohol and tobacco products?

I see this argument a lot but I don’t understand it at all. Should it be up to parents to decide if their underage children smoke or drink or have sex?

If we understand certain things are harmful to most children - and I think we do now put social media in that category - why would we let parents decide?

As you say, there are lazy parents. There will always be lazy parents, no matter what. So the government does need to step in sometimes to make good decisions for children where their parents are unable or unwilling to do so

You could say the same about alcohol in a way, it’s a parental choice whether to introduce the odd shandy at a young age or completely ban it as evil meaning the second kids turn 18 they’re downing bottles of vodka with no concept of how to handle it.

With a platform like YouTube they need to have enforced adult and kids sections, with different restrictions - it’s no different to classifying and 18+ horror film as unsuitable for kids.

The trouble is online platforms have developed so quickly nobody has put safeguards in place, probably some adults would even prefer a version where their algorithm is curated for only the content they want to see and filters out topics they’ll find upsetting for whatever reason.

Well parents and schools can still teach kids about safe internet use before they reach 16. Just as they educate them about sex, alcohol use, dangers of drugs etc?

This aspect of the debate is making me think about the power legislation can have to create peer pressure among adults.

So for example, a big part of the reason many people don’t hit their kids or let them drink when they’re 12 or whatever is not just about fear of legal repercussions. It’s also social pressure and the knowledge that other people will judge you as a terrible parent/person if you do.

Legislation is a big part of shifting social norms in this way IMO.

See also smoking indoors - people around you would think you were a total dick and tell you so, if you did that now! But not so long ago it was totally normal. The legislation brought about the social change.

Well pretty much every parent I know has shown 12/15 films before their child is that age.
18 films are a bit different because it will depend on why it's an 18 but yes I have let my daughter watch some before she turned 18.
Alcohol.....well I don't drink but going by many threads on Mumsnet it seems fairly normal to let older teens drink alcohol. It depends on circumstances. Wine at Christmas dinner is different to a six pack to take to a party. Personally I wouldn't do the 6 pack but wine at dinner.... probably would allow it.
Smoking I think is crap and no one should do it.

I think it can only be done at the moment by forcing all the adult users to identify themselves and prove their age, and then prove it's them every time they access one of the sites. There are some pretty huge implications for this.

I think is a good thing. DS 11 currently shows no interest in that stuff but it will be far easier to say no now. Let's face it, apps like Snapchat are for morons and paedos. Kids should not be on there.

See also smoking indoors - people around you would think you were a total dick and tell you so, if you did that now! But not so long ago it was totally normal. The legislation brought about the social change

That is a really good point. When I was a kid it was totally normal for parents to smoke around their children indoors, in the car etc. Now it is seen as completely unacceptable.

I think its a good thing. The consultation had 116,000 responses and 90% of responses said parents wanted a ban. Thats pretty substantial isn't it?

We all know that social media has been proven time and time again to be harmful. And the tech giants have had long enough to put precautions in place but have refused to do so. That's what everyone's ignoring - they were given the opportunity to prevent a ban but they chose not to.

My 11yo isn't on anything yet (thankfully) so this helps enormously because it gets rid of the peer pressure to join in.

Kids should be kids, so encouraging them to not be online all the time will be a great thing for their social skills, their mental health, their ability to learn by themselves...

And parents can do the same with social media. Show their children it, show what happens, how to deal with trolls etc.