6 ms·

People might see it as harsh but looking at reality and the hard numbers collected about the gigantic negative impact it has on kids and teenagers this is the r

People might see it as harsh but looking at reality and the hard numbers collected about the gigantic negative impact it has on kids and teenagers this is the right move, would even push it till 18.

newhotelowner 3y ago
Why 18 and not 25?
- ejb999 3y ago
  because under 18 is not an adult legally speaking, and 18+ is?
  - reaperman 3y ago
    Again, not the best argument given that the drinking age is 21. Additionally, children can volunteer for the military at the age of 16. So there's clearly a range, "legally speaking". Leaning on existing laws isn't really the best for these things, because existing laws may be flawed. Would prefer to base it on scientific insights, but we don't have much relevant for this stuff. So the real answer is "We don't know, and different states will try different ages and see what sticks, what people will accept."
    - throw0101b 3y ago
      > Additionally, children can volunteer for the military at the age of 16. In the US, under 18, only with parental consent.
      - reaperman 3y ago
        *Unless emancipated, which also often can happen at 16.
  - newhotelowner 3y ago
    Florida allows 14 years old to work 15 hours. A lot of states are removing restrictions for under 18 workers. Also, drinking age is 21.
- silverquiet 3y ago
  I do wonder at what age social media is supposed to stop being destructive to mental health. Based on my experience, I'm also inclined to think the answer is never, but there's too much money to be made to stop it.
- Ekaros 3y ago
  Or 21 like some drugs...
- itsoktocry 3y ago
  Because you have to draw the line somewhere, and 18 is considered when someone is capable of their own adult decision making.
  - e_i_pi_2 3y ago
    This is the number we've been using recently, but it's been different in the past and there's no reason to keep using it, especially when we have data showing that 25 is the age your decision making faculties are generally fully developed
    - amanaplanacanal 3y ago
      When I was a kid the argument was “if you can be drafted and sent to war you should be able to vote”. The state is still going to want those young able bodies for their militaries. Raising our age of adulthood to 25 seems unlikely to go over very well.
- awkward 3y ago
  Because at 18 people are responsible for their own actions, and restricting them after that is unreasonable and contrary to personal freedom. There's a consistent factoid going around that brains aren't done developing until the age of 25. It's frequently used as an argument to restrict young people. Looking at performance by age in fields like math and music, declining brain plasticity seems more like a reason to implement the carousel from Logan's Run
  - dotnet00 3y ago
    Might as well raise the age of majority to 25, if the brain isn't finished developing they're obviously incapable of handling personal freedom!
    - CSMastermind 3y ago
      I'd unironically support raising the voting age in the US to 25. I was an idiot when I was 18 and had no business picking a leader of any kind. There's something to be said for waiting until people have actual life experience.
      - vsnf 3y ago
        I have the opposite take you have. There should be no restriction on voting age at all. Everyone possesses the right to have a say in the direction of the government that governs them.
        2024throwaway 3y ago
        Riiiight. Because four year olds have a strong grasp on current events and deserve a say, and totally wouldn’t just become an extra vote for whomever their parents are voting for.
        vsnf 3y ago
        Yep, I understand the practical issues with my position. But I can’t ethically condone saying “you have no voice” to a fellow citizen, so I prefer no restrictions.
- pjc50 3y ago
  Excellent, have a whole group of voters who aren't allowed access to certain political information. Or are you going to raise the voting age to 25 as well? Perhaps we should also cut off people over 65, since they've proven to be more vulnerable to scams and financial exploitation over social media? (there's real arguments to be had about the negative effects of social media, but a serious discussion would include those on adults and old people as well, and this ban, like the TikTok one, is definitely more a part of culture war than a well-intentioned effort to improve the effect of telecoms on people's lives)
  - speff 3y ago
    It's not a TikTok ban.
- FredPret 3y ago
  Heck, why not ban it altogether? In all seriousness, this is a great move that should be emulated. I'm a tech-optimist but the effect social media has on teenagers specifically and public discourse in general is absolutely toxic.
- gmadsen 3y ago
  because the legal adult age in the US is 18?
- darby_eight 3y ago
  Why not ban the businesses entirely? Certainly all the interesting points about banning TikTok apply even more to domestic companies than they do to foreign ones.
jeremyjh 3y ago
I'm a parent of an 11 and 14 year old and I have mixed feelings about this. First, I am concerned about the negative effect of social media on kids and my initial reaction to this was positive, but then I remembered my 11 year old daughter uses Messenger kids to keep up with her cousin across the country. They only see each other once a year so the fact that they have this connection I see as really positive, and the accounts on that platform are totally controlled by parents. My son is old enough the law would give us a choice and I'd let him keep Discord I think as well. If there is something positive here though it would be forcing the companies to make it easier for parents to control what their kids do, it should just be up to them.
- alecco 3y ago
  Why can't they do video calls and send emails? One on one is way better than posts seen in a timeline.
  - jeremyjh 3y ago
    I guess you've never used Messenger or Discord. These are messaging applications that can do video calls. There is no timeline. edit: actually, reading the text of the bill probably neither of those applications are in scope, because they do not have algorithmic feeds. They specifically state: "Employs algorithms that analyze user data or information on users to select content for users;" https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/3/BillText/er/PDF https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/3/BillText/er/PDF

People might see it as harsh but looking at reality and the hard numbers collected about the gigantic negative impact it has on kids and teenagers this is the right move, would even push it till 18.

newhotelowner 3y ago

Why 18 and not 25?

ejb999 3y ago
because under 18 is not an adult legally speaking, and 18+ is?
- reaperman 3y ago
  Again, not the best argument given that the drinking age is 21. Additionally, children can volunteer for the military at the age of 16. So there's clearly a range, "legally speaking". Leaning on existing laws isn't really the best for these things, because existing laws may be flawed. Would prefer to base it on scientific insights, but we don't have much relevant for this stuff. So the real answer is "We don't know, and different states will try different ages and see what sticks, what people will accept."
  - throw0101b 3y ago
    > Additionally, children can volunteer for the military at the age of 16. In the US, under 18, only with parental consent.
    - reaperman 3y ago
      *Unless emancipated, which also often can happen at 16.
- newhotelowner 3y ago
  Florida allows 14 years old to work 15 hours. A lot of states are removing restrictions for under 18 workers. Also, drinking age is 21.
silverquiet 3y ago
I do wonder at what age social media is supposed to stop being destructive to mental health. Based on my experience, I'm also inclined to think the answer is never, but there's too much money to be made to stop it.
Ekaros 3y ago
Or 21 like some drugs...
itsoktocry 3y ago
Because you have to draw the line somewhere, and 18 is considered when someone is capable of their own adult decision making.
- e_i_pi_2 3y ago
  This is the number we've been using recently, but it's been different in the past and there's no reason to keep using it, especially when we have data showing that 25 is the age your decision making faculties are generally fully developed
  - amanaplanacanal 3y ago
    When I was a kid the argument was “if you can be drafted and sent to war you should be able to vote”. The state is still going to want those young able bodies for their militaries. Raising our age of adulthood to 25 seems unlikely to go over very well.
awkward 3y ago
Because at 18 people are responsible for their own actions, and restricting them after that is unreasonable and contrary to personal freedom. There's a consistent factoid going around that brains aren't done developing until the age of 25. It's frequently used as an argument to restrict young people. Looking at performance by age in fields like math and music, declining brain plasticity seems more like a reason to implement the carousel from Logan's Run
- dotnet00 3y ago
  Might as well raise the age of majority to 25, if the brain isn't finished developing they're obviously incapable of handling personal freedom!
  - CSMastermind 3y ago
    I'd unironically support raising the voting age in the US to 25. I was an idiot when I was 18 and had no business picking a leader of any kind. There's something to be said for waiting until people have actual life experience.
    - vsnf 3y ago
      I have the opposite take you have. There should be no restriction on voting age at all. Everyone possesses the right to have a say in the direction of the government that governs them.
      - 2024throwaway 3y ago
        Riiiight. Because four year olds have a strong grasp on current events and deserve a say, and totally wouldn’t just become an extra vote for whomever their parents are voting for.
        vsnf 3y ago
        Yep, I understand the practical issues with my position. But I can’t ethically condone saying “you have no voice” to a fellow citizen, so I prefer no restrictions.
pjc50 3y ago
Excellent, have a whole group of voters who aren't allowed access to certain political information. Or are you going to raise the voting age to 25 as well? Perhaps we should also cut off people over 65, since they've proven to be more vulnerable to scams and financial exploitation over social media? (there's real arguments to be had about the negative effects of social media, but a serious discussion would include those on adults and old people as well, and this ban, like the TikTok one, is definitely more a part of culture war than a well-intentioned effort to improve the effect of telecoms on people's lives)
- speff 3y ago
  It's not a TikTok ban.
FredPret 3y ago
Heck, why not ban it altogether? In all seriousness, this is a great move that should be emulated. I'm a tech-optimist but the effect social media has on teenagers specifically and public discourse in general is absolutely toxic.
gmadsen 3y ago
because the legal adult age in the US is 18?
darby_eight 3y ago
Why not ban the businesses entirely? Certainly all the interesting points about banning TikTok apply even more to domestic companies than they do to foreign ones.

jeremyjh 3y ago

I'm a parent of an 11 and 14 year old and I have mixed feelings about this. First, I am concerned about the negative effect of social media on kids and my initial reaction to this was positive, but then I remembered my 11 year old daughter uses Messenger kids to keep up with her cousin across the country. They only see each other once a year so the fact that they have this connection I see as really positive, and the accounts on that platform are totally controlled by parents. My son is old enough the law would give us a choice and I'd let him keep Discord I think as well. If there is something positive here though it would be forcing the companies to make it easier for parents to control what their kids do, it should just be up to them.

alecco 3y ago
Why can't they do video calls and send emails? One on one is way better than posts seen in a timeline.
- jeremyjh 3y ago
  I guess you've never used Messenger or Discord. These are messaging applications that can do video calls. There is no timeline. edit: actually, reading the text of the bill probably neither of those applications are in scope, because they do not have algorithmic feeds. They specifically state: "Employs algorithms that analyze user data or information on users to select content for users;" https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/3/BillText/er/PDF https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/3/BillText/er/PDF