Kev
Dean Burnett (that brains guy)Quick thoughts on the proposed UK social media ban
- Enforcement will be a nightmare, teens are already more tech savvy than most parents
- Taking an existing right away from teens for 'debatable' reasons will never end well
1/2
- It's ultimately based on the paranoia of concerned parents, rather than evidence. The victims will be the less privileged kids, and those who don't have concerned parents, for whom SM acts as a lifeline, but are absent from the whole discussion
As ever, it's a policy where the *possible* but unsubstantiated risk to the privileged are heavily prioritised over the *actual* harms that would be done to the underprivileged. Modern politics in a nutshell, basically.
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Jeztastic@Garwboy Would honestly be more supportive of this if government combined it with a bunch of support which has been proven to improve children's MH and wellbeing, but has been systematically removed over the last few decades.
A few examples - Surestart, youth clubs, free or subsidised sports centres, quality and easily accessible counselling, adequate SEN support in schools, libraries within walking distance, cheap and frequent public transport, safer roads and neighbourhoods... As a school counsellor, it is very difficult for me to recommend to kids they get off social media until I know they have something better and safer to do instead.
Woozle HypertwinAs with pretty much every "conservative" initiative, harming the vulnerable is intentional rather than accidental. They see it as strengthening the gene-pool or some such eugenazi nonsense.
Renata 🇨🇦🐈🌈@Garwboy My take is that the amount of screen time EVERYONE is subjecting themselves these days is not good. Not exclusive to kids, not exclusive to social media.
It’s a much bigger problem and banning social media for kids is ridiculous.
The bare minimum would be to promote inclusive public social programs - again, for everyone - so people would have a reason to gtfo of their screens to have more physical and mental stimulation than scrolling.
But no let’s ban social media for kids 🤦♀️
It’s a much bigger problem and banning social media for kids is ridiculous.
The bare minimum would be to promote inclusive public social programs - again, for everyone - so people would have a reason to gtfo of their screens to have more physical and mental stimulation than scrolling.
But no let’s ban social media for kids 🤦♀️
@renata @Garwboy It seems to me that this is the easier/more cowardly path. These platforms are riddled with misinformation, bigotry and abuse. And that's coming from all levels, states, oligarchs, and individuals. Sorting them out or regulating, or breaking up monopolies, it's all stuff neoliberal governments refuse to do. So just ban it for kids and let it fester? Weak. It's like putting up a ricketty fence around the nuclear waste dump and forgetting about it.
&2i