7 ms·

Anyone else think that we should just ban kids from accessing the internet?

TylerE 3y ago
Depends on if you want them to be totally unprepared for society or not. Would you consider it reasonable to ban anyone under 18 from reading or visiting a library?
- dudul 3y ago
  A lot of people only started using the internet in their twenties and do just fine.
  - lotsoweiners 3y ago
    Cool. You let your kids on the internet in their 20s and I’ll continue to allow my single digit aged kids on the internet. Nothing wrong with people having different values and parenting methods.
- tacotacotaco 3y ago
  Human civilization made it all the way to 1990’s without commercial internet. Maybe keeping children off the internet would make them better prepared for society.
  - barelyauser 3y ago
    Yes, keeping them oblivious of the very thing central to modern society will surely prepare them well.
    - smeagull 3y ago
      Perhaps you think they should fill out tax forms too.
  - TylerE 3y ago
    Now look at the a mid 50's former housewife trying to find a job. It's a cruel world. Try getting hired as even a secretary if you don't know how to use Office.
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]
- dudul 3y ago
  Things are taught when the individual is able to understand them. We don't teach 2 year olds how to read, we don't teach 7 year olds how to drive. Maybe you do need to be "this tall" to access the internet.
danShumway 3y ago
Even though children do have fewer protections from the 1st Amendment, they still are covered by the 1st Amendment in the US. I think it's very likely that a federal ban on children accessing the Internet would not survive 1st Amendment muster. There are things we can restrict children from accessing and talking about, but it's a lot more narrow than people often suppose and most of that restriction is usually coming from private actors (particularly parents) who aren't bound by the 1st Amendment. Outside of settings like school, the government is generally not as free to impose those restrictions.
JoshTriplett 3y ago
Having been a kid who benefited heavily from access to networks (pre-Internet and Internet), and who went to college while still a "kid": no, absolutely not. Kids are, in fact, humans, and should not be disadvantaged because of their age. I've seen plenty of stories on HN and elsewhere about particularly clever 10 year olds who found their ability to participate online destroyed because some service provider figured out they're 10 and COPPA came into play.
- mixmastamyk 3y ago
  Kids could learn many valuable life lessons in bars, would be a shame if they started checking ID at the door.

Depends on if you want them to be totally unprepared for society or not. Would you consider it reasonable to ban anyone under 18 from reading or visiting a library?

dudul 3y ago
A lot of people only started using the internet in their twenties and do just fine.
- lotsoweiners 3y ago
  Cool. You let your kids on the internet in their 20s and I’ll continue to allow my single digit aged kids on the internet. Nothing wrong with people having different values and parenting methods.
tacotacotaco 3y ago
Human civilization made it all the way to 1990’s without commercial internet. Maybe keeping children off the internet would make them better prepared for society.
- barelyauser 3y ago
  Yes, keeping them oblivious of the very thing central to modern society will surely prepare them well.
  - smeagull 3y ago
    Perhaps you think they should fill out tax forms too.
- TylerE 3y ago
  Now look at the a mid 50's former housewife trying to find a job. It's a cruel world. Try getting hired as even a secretary if you don't know how to use Office.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
dudul 3y ago
Things are taught when the individual is able to understand them. We don't teach 2 year olds how to read, we don't teach 7 year olds how to drive. Maybe you do need to be "this tall" to access the internet.

danShumway 3y ago

Even though children do have fewer protections from the 1st Amendment, they still are covered by the 1st Amendment in the US. I think it's very likely that a federal ban on children accessing the Internet would not survive 1st Amendment muster. There are things we can restrict children from accessing and talking about, but it's a lot more narrow than people often suppose and most of that restriction is usually coming from private actors (particularly parents) who aren't bound by the 1st Amendment. Outside of settings like school, the government is generally not as free to impose those restrictions.

JoshTriplett 3y ago

Having been a kid who benefited heavily from access to networks (pre-Internet and Internet), and who went to college while still a "kid": no, absolutely not. Kids are, in fact, humans, and should not be disadvantaged because of their age. I've seen plenty of stories on HN and elsewhere about particularly clever 10 year olds who found their ability to participate online destroyed because some service provider figured out they're 10 and COPPA came into play.

mixmastamyk 3y ago
Kids could learn many valuable life lessons in bars, would be a shame if they started checking ID at the door.