Comment by athrowaway3z
13 hours ago
I'm very critical of all the schemes proposed but this is just a fundamental misconception on your part.
> If there was a legitimate drive to protect kids from the worst of the Internet
As with any disease, the impact heavily depends on virality.
The worst the internet has to offer to children, is not the gore or porn for the few that look for it (usually individually). The worst it does to children is the attention algorithm that captures practically everybody.
"But think of the children" has always been the go-to excuse for tossing freedom out the window.
So in this case, do we just stop thinking about the children in totality?
In the context of government legislation on personal behavior, yes.
Parents should be the ones setting up rules for their children.
If manipulative algorithm are the problem, then perhaps we should consider regulations that would protect everyone.
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While I agree with this, I also find that the "but think of the children" ironic retort also usually ignores the very real problems that technology can cause children (and society at large). In this issue in particular, if banning social media for children makes it less likely for adults to use it, I see it as pretty much a win-win.
Would you also want the government to ban junk food and recreational drugs? What about unprotected premarital sex?
I'd much rather live in a society with personal freedoms than a "healthier" one with government mandates on personal behavior.
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Children are the survival of the species our DNA wires us to to protect them.
That's why people need to be especially careful when others try to use such effective methods of manipulation.