Why social media bans for children could be a bad idea

[Hanno Labuschagne]

Why social media bans for children could be a bad idea

As governments worldwide move to restrict teenagers’ access to smartphones and social media, a fierce scientific debate has erupted over whether these digital technologies actually harm young people’s mental health.

The controversy, sparked by an influential recent book blaming phones for rising youth anxiety, has exposed deep uncertainties in the research evidence — even as policymakers from Arkansas to Australia forge ahead with sweeping bans and restrictions.

[The Conversation]

 

[Spontaneous spinach]

Good , don't have to buy iphones for them and go back to buying them cheap plastic balls

R50 cocomelon ball with hours of endless fun.

 

[Swa]

This is going to be the next cholesterol folly.

 

[saor]

Vote straight necks
Vote no phones for kids

 

[Fulcrum29]

Vote straight necks
Vote no phones for kids

View attachment 1772395

I see older people like that all the time.

 

[Bad Ballie]

Your spawn should have access to a smartphone until they are at least 15, doing so harms them far more then it helps.

 

[Swa]

Your spawn should have access to a smartphone until they are at least 15, doing so harms them far more then it helps.

Then it gets taken away?

 

[Kosmik]

hmmm,

I walk a medium road, two kids 12 and 9. They each had a second hand old phone, from this year. Mainly for youtube and some games. I have told the oldest, I would consider giving him access to whatsapp for friends etc from next year with the change in school and he will be 13. The youngest is well aware not. However, I have android family installed on the phones which lets me monitor screen time and app download usage which the kids do well in.

I also started a private discord server with them and a friends kids which they can go wild on as a "entry" into social.

Blanket bans are bad. They just cause a need and a want. Introduction, monitoring and guidance are what we should be doing.

I think back to the 90's and social media then.....while not as prevalent as today, it was faaaar worse.

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

Banning Schitt, is generally a bad idea. But peoples never learns

 

[Swa]

hmmm,

I walk a medium road, two kids 12 and 9. They each had a second hand old phone, from this year. Mainly for youtube and some games. I have told the oldest, I would consider giving him access to whatsapp for friends etc from next year with the change in school and he will be 13. The youngest is well aware not. However, I have android family installed on the phones which lets me monitor screen time and app download usage which the kids do well in.

I also started a private discord server with them and a friends kids which they can go wild on as a "entry" into social.

Blanket bans are bad. They just cause a need and a want. Introduction, monitoring and guidance are what we should be doing.

I think back to the 90's and social media then.....while not as prevalent as today, it was faaaar worse.

Back then we just didn't talk about it. I remember how we used harddrives instead of Playboys but now they want to talk about downloads when we consumed more than we could ever download.

Kids are far more clued up today. Try to phish them for nude photos etc. and 99% of the time you won't succeed.

 

[UB40]

Kids are already banned here on this forum so I agree, no one <21 should be allowed on social media at all and that includes Grindr

 

[PsyWulf]

Banning Schitt, is generally a bad idea. But peoples never learns

Used to be you couldn't sign up for Facebook unless you had a Uni email address,even now they age restrict I think?

My kids ain't getting access to Tiktok - it's too risky. Youtube I can moderate

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

Used to be you couldn't sign up for Facebook unless you had a Uni email address,even now they age restrict I think?

My kids ain't getting access to Tiktok - it's too risky. Youtube I can moderate

Moderate YouTube - be glad your Kids don't know my Kids - they would teach how to get around your best moderation.

 

[PsyWulf]

Moderate YouTube - be glad your Kids don't know my Kids - they would teach how to get around your best moderation.

They're under 8,my skill exceeds theirs for a while
Also the risk of going from start -> nazi content is not 2 videos away usually

 

[Kosmik]

Moderate YouTube - be glad your Kids don't know my Kids - they would teach how to get around your best moderation.

Yeah some stuff is pretty wild.

I have told my kids and done it a few times, if I catch them with questionable videos or they watch utter junk, start swearing etc, youtube is blacklisted at my router level.

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

They're under 8,my skill exceeds theirs for a while
Also the risk of going from start -> nazi content is not 2 videos away usually

Mine are now out of the house - any form of "blocking" was seen as a challenge.

 

[PsyWulf]

Mine are now out of the house - any form of "blocking" was seen as a challenge.

Qustudio family's pretty good from experience,can review history of searches and content in apps,can't remove from the devices,limit time-of-use,limit time-spent etc

Monitor and enforce if rules are broken

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

Qustudio family's pretty good from experience,can review history of searches and content in apps,can't remove from the devices,limit time-of-use,limit time-spent etc

Monitor and enforce if rules are broken.

Hmm ... , the enforcement part, gets rough, especially when, it starts putting restrictions on your own internet usage.

 

[PsyWulf]

Hmm ... , the enforcement part, gets rough, especially when, it starts putting restrictions on your own internet usage.

With Qustudio you do it on the device(s) directly,no need for blanket bans when surgical cuts work

 

[Stinkbeaver]

I agree, we need to control kids smartphones and gadgets usage, Just look at all the kids we have on Mybb who never matured emotionally.