abbiistabbii 1d ago
The UK's social media ban for under 16s is going to be an absolute clusterfuck of epic proportions.

OK so in the list of social media sites that will be banned, which were surprisingly vague, Youtube was included. Youtube. You know. The Video Depository? The Video Depository that has things like Public Information Films for Young people? The site with REVISION MATERIALS FOR 15-16 YEAR OLDS?

So not only are they going to BORK the internet by making you age verify video embeds that they include, they are going to also block a site that kids studying from their GCSEs and National 5s use to FUCKING REVISE! How the fuck you gonna access Crash Course IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS YOUTUBE, KEIR?

OH BUT IT GETS WORSE!

So the platforms mentioned are "platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X" BUT they stress the ban will NOT include Whatsapp or Signal. Whatsapp has Social Features like Snapchat, and even Signal has stories, so where the fuck do you draw the line?

Like that is incredibly vague. How do you differentiate between SnapChat and WhatsApp now? WhatsApp has developed into basically SnapChat with a worse UI, and even Signal has Disappearing Stories ala Snapchat!

How exactly do you differentiate between WhatsApp/Signal and Snapchat? A Streaks feature?

Oh, and on top of that, as Amnesty very aptly put it, it doesn't actually deal with the REASON Social Media is a problem. Social Media sites are designed to be unsafe. They don't HAVE to be, but they are. They are designed to keep you on the site as long as possible and keep you using it.

Banning U16s from Social Media WON'T fix that. It'll just result in a load of 16 year olds who don't know how to behave on the fucking internet, which is arguably more dangerous. it's like keeping a kid locked in their room until 16 and then telling them to drive to the shops for some smokes.

They could twist the arms of social media companies to end skinnerboxing and addictive practices, but the Social Media companies have cucked them so hard that they're doing this, so they can continue skinnerboxing people, this time with less preparation, while claiming to be "doing something."

OH AND TO TOP IT ALL OFF, all of this was announced on Twitter, a site run by a man who helped incite pogroms and riots, and makes money by letting people who pay him generate CSAM using his AI, and nothing about that is being done.

Fuck. This. Shit.
Show threadSupermoosie

@abbiistabbii

A ban takes away my rights to parent.

The Australian ban was pushed through with consulting or even understanding the impacts of a ban. No thought on kids needs or what they use social media for.

There was a "conference" which was staged managed, to only have people in favour of a ban.

The conference was later used for justification for the ban.

Studies with pushed out to the media ,such as the one where they told a few kids they were studying anxiety about social media, then took their phones away foe 30 minutes. Did you feel anxious with out your phone? Yes? That is bad.

Now do that with adults and take away their car. Or their gym access for a day or their coffee. Of course people will say they are anxious.

The risk analysis for trial ban was laughably short at one landscape page. The risk that had the most attention, was society would not support it.

They would manage that with a website and advertising." Our contractor has lots of prior experience doing this" ie spreading government propaganda.

The bill was pushed through parliament quickly. At one stage a public comment was allowed. Just 24 hours. 15,000 people commented, which is massive. Without even having time to collaborate or allow issues raised be read by those voting, the bill was passed the nwxt day.

At no point did anyone take the time to understand its impact on the kids.
https://mastodon.au/@SuperMoosie/116753292237885253

Supermoosie (@[email protected])

@[email protected] And the kids that have made friends from all over the world on social media,because people don't care if they are disabled, or what they look like. Unlike the kids that bully them at school. Us introverts, who found it hard to talk to people, but thrive with a keyboard and that extra time to create the right sentences? Or the rural kids, that don't have friends nearby? Or the kids that have family overseas or far away, that they were keeping in touch with via social media? Or kids that get information in their native language and follow events in their home countries. The kids running businesses on social media, gaining life skills? Or the kids following their heros, gaining information, having mental health and other medical organisations they can easily reach out to? Kids taking leadership and running environmental, social, volunteer groups, promoting their bands, running events, and coaching others? Adults making decisions have no idea how kids use social media, let alone how it benifits or harms them. The Australian u16 ban was pushed by an advertising company and 32 global brands. Did not care about kids, just wanted them back watching tv and radio, so they could consume advertising they controled. They also owned AI age verification software to sell. https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/12/09/36-months-teen-social-media-ban-big-tech-brands/

Mastodon Australia
Jun 15 at 6:25pmWeb