this post was submitted on 30 Nov 2024
417 points (97.7% liked)

World News

39367 readers
2241 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News [email protected]

Politics [email protected]

World Politics [email protected]


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Summary

A YouGov poll revealed that 77% of Germans support banning social media for those under 16, similar to a new Australian law.

The survey found that 82% believe social media harms young people, citing harmful content and addiction.

In Australia, the law fines platforms up to AUD 49.5 million (€30.5M) for allowing under-16s to create accounts, with enforcement trials set before implementation next year. Critics

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Let's remember the ban in Australia concerns platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit and X. Exemptions will apply to services such as YouTube, messenger kids, whatsapp, kids helpline and google classroom.

The account you provided starts by stating that "the most rigorous analysis" found little/no significant evidence , but fails to link to them. He immediately lumps together smartphone and social media, then goes on justifying the importance of both with arguments that clearly concern almost exclusively smartphones.

This ban is about social media, not smartphones altogether.

Garwboy's arguments:

  • they let kids stay connected with friends, foster a community, allow coordination of activities: he's talking about smartphones.

  • they allow access to school work, references, important resources: again, smartphones/the internet

  • they allow access to support, help and guidance from experienced and informed individuals and groups: this point I'll give to him; as for years, Reddit has served that very purpose for me. Who knows what that site has become though.

  • he compares them to roads (roads kill children every year, but they save many lives, make the world go round,...): again this whole comparison is only valid for smartphones.

  • they are a refuge for children who experience abuse at home: this is probably true, but it is not an argument about how social media helps in these situations. I could say the same about drugs .

Which brings us to my point of view: social media are, for many, a drug. A bit of it can be good, fun and even sometimes make your like better, but we have to acknowledge the negative side, which in my opinion can have devastating effects in a person's mental, especially when the mental is still in its forming stage.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

but we have to acknowledge the negative side, which in my opinion [...]

I don't do opinions. Burnett (a neuroscientist) has linked many sources - maybe you just need to read a bit more.

Additionally, your claims about what's "smartphones" and what's "social media" are strange - my kids use Snapchat to communicate. Do you think they use SMS?? How old are your kids?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Look it's my opinion from personal experience, just disregard it if it bothers you.

I read the whole series of posts but didn't see them, I guess I needed to search some more - my bad.

I'm not saying social media doesn't let you do all those things, I'm saying you don't need it to do them.

I don't have kids and never used Snapchat, but what does Snapchat provide that helps them communicate better than let's say WhatsApp?

Edit: I went to dig on Burnett's page for the links you tell me about. All I found was a radio interview of a doctor on radio Boston, an article from the Sunday times about Burnett's book and an article on Wales online, also about the book.

Could you link me to the relevant articles I must have missed?

Edit 2: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7364393/ Found this article that combines different studies made on the subject. Around halfway through the page you will find the results of some of these studies and you will see the answer isn't clear.