5 ms·

> Lets tax the hell out of social media companies to generate local revenue just like sin taxes. Very interesting idea, actually. There is evidence Social Medi

> Lets tax the hell out of social media companies to generate local revenue just like sin taxes. Very interesting idea, actually. There is evidence Social Media causes harm to some individuals' mental health (in a widespread manner causing some measurable societal harm), so a proposed tax on all social media companies with revenue going towards mental health programs seems worth exploring. Generally I'm not much in favor of implementing new taxes (would rather close existing loopholes) but if implemented reasonably and backed by scientific evidence this seems valid.

intended 5y ago
It seems internal data shows that FB and Insta harm 14 years old more than other groups.
- erosenbe0 5y ago
  That could apply to TV, video games, alcohol culture, porn or any number of things. It seems to be the near monopoly that is one of the major issues for FB. Lack of competition seems to lead to a house of horrors.
  - asdff 5y ago
    Yet with all those things we have laws and regulations and even restrictions for young people explicitly. FB is the wild west on the other hand and constantly lobbies to keep it that way in terms of how regulators see it.
  - intended 5y ago
    Yes, thats the buried lede. Those are all things which you need to be old or mature enough to use responsibly - they make demands of experience and impulse control you develop as adults. Meaning that blocking social media for kids and teens is likely on the anvil at some point.
cratermoon 5y ago
> There is evidence Social Media causes harm to some individuals' mental health (in a widespread manner causing some measurable societal harm) And they do so by exploiting human weaknesses using the same psychological techniques used by casinos and other forms of gambling.
- asdff 5y ago
  Yes, and we have regulations and taxes and laws around these industries, but evidently facebook gets off scott free.
  - cratermoon 5y ago
    That's because, so far, they've managed to deflect, deny, and discredit research and critics pointing out exactly how social media uses things like variable rewards in the same way as slot machines use them to keep gamblers pulling the lever. They do this using tactics developed by the tobacco companies to fight findings that smoking causes cancer and other harms and refined by the fossil fuel industry to prevent action on global warming.
    - erosenbe0 5y ago
      I agree with you but a lot of the analogies and metaphors here are insufficiently subtle. FB in some sense, but not entirely, is a form of speech, no better or worse than Grand Theft Auto or the National Enquirer. That's how I thought of it ten years ago. Now that it is in our pockets nearly cradle to grave; a monopoly; and dependent on minutes of engagement rather than subscriptions -- it is a different animal altogether.

intended 5y ago

It seems internal data shows that FB and Insta harm 14 years old more than other groups.

erosenbe0 5y ago
That could apply to TV, video games, alcohol culture, porn or any number of things. It seems to be the near monopoly that is one of the major issues for FB. Lack of competition seems to lead to a house of horrors.
- asdff 5y ago
  Yet with all those things we have laws and regulations and even restrictions for young people explicitly. FB is the wild west on the other hand and constantly lobbies to keep it that way in terms of how regulators see it.
- intended 5y ago
  Yes, thats the buried lede. Those are all things which you need to be old or mature enough to use responsibly - they make demands of experience and impulse control you develop as adults. Meaning that blocking social media for kids and teens is likely on the anvil at some point.

cratermoon 5y ago

> There is evidence Social Media causes harm to some individuals' mental health (in a widespread manner causing some measurable societal harm) And they do so by exploiting human weaknesses using the same psychological techniques used by casinos and other forms of gambling.

asdff 5y ago
Yes, and we have regulations and taxes and laws around these industries, but evidently facebook gets off scott free.
- cratermoon 5y ago
  That's because, so far, they've managed to deflect, deny, and discredit research and critics pointing out exactly how social media uses things like variable rewards in the same way as slot machines use them to keep gamblers pulling the lever. They do this using tactics developed by the tobacco companies to fight findings that smoking causes cancer and other harms and refined by the fossil fuel industry to prevent action on global warming.
  - erosenbe0 5y ago
    I agree with you but a lot of the analogies and metaphors here are insufficiently subtle. FB in some sense, but not entirely, is a form of speech, no better or worse than Grand Theft Auto or the National Enquirer. That's how I thought of it ten years ago. Now that it is in our pockets nearly cradle to grave; a monopoly; and dependent on minutes of engagement rather than subscriptions -- it is a different animal altogether.