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All of these <16s will be voting in a few years, and Australia has compulsory voting. I hope they remember this on their first visit to the ballot box.

BLKNSLVR 2y ago
This will be wholly supported by both parties of our primarily two-party system. There's no alternative but a protest vote to one of those fringe parties that will never get any real power anyway.
- viraptor 2y ago
  A protest vote is still free in Australia due to a reasonable voting system. And quite a few independents still get in. Is not terrible and actually can make a difference.
viraptor 2y ago
Kids in schools which forbid phone use for everyone are often happy with the result. Banning social networks for everyone may be popular with them by the time they vote.
- bigfatkitten 2y ago
  What about the 14-15 year olds who happily use who happily use various apps to keep in touch with their family and friends (outside school hours), who will now be prohibited from doing so?
  - Mashimo 2y ago
    I'm not Australian, how are they now being prohibited?
    - bigfatkitten 2y ago
      They don't really have a plan yet. Thinking things through isn't a quality that Australian governments have ever been blessed with, particularly when it comes to tech policy.
  - viraptor 2y ago
    You don't need social networks to keep in touch with family and friends. RCS and a large number of communicators are available for everyone.
    - bigfatkitten 2y ago
      Postal mail is also available to everyone, but it's as functionally equivalent to Instagram as RCS is.
      - viraptor 2y ago
        "I want Instagram" and "I want to be in touch with my friends and family" are completely separate things. You don't need social networks for that. It was possible to be in touch before the internet and I believe that Instagram didn't improve it at all.
        bigfatkitten 2y ago
        By that logic, we could simply ban the internet and save a lot of trouble. Society functioned without it for thousands of years.
        viraptor 2y ago
        Why go to extremes? The internet does improve the friends&family communication a lot and is useful. I'm saying that Instagram and other social media don't improve it that much beyond direct communication.

BLKNSLVR 2y ago

This will be wholly supported by both parties of our primarily two-party system. There's no alternative but a protest vote to one of those fringe parties that will never get any real power anyway.

viraptor 2y ago
A protest vote is still free in Australia due to a reasonable voting system. And quite a few independents still get in. Is not terrible and actually can make a difference.

viraptor 2y ago

Kids in schools which forbid phone use for everyone are often happy with the result. Banning social networks for everyone may be popular with them by the time they vote.

bigfatkitten 2y ago
What about the 14-15 year olds who happily use who happily use various apps to keep in touch with their family and friends (outside school hours), who will now be prohibited from doing so?
- Mashimo 2y ago
  I'm not Australian, how are they now being prohibited?
  - bigfatkitten 2y ago
    They don't really have a plan yet. Thinking things through isn't a quality that Australian governments have ever been blessed with, particularly when it comes to tech policy.
- viraptor 2y ago
  You don't need social networks to keep in touch with family and friends. RCS and a large number of communicators are available for everyone.
  - bigfatkitten 2y ago
    Postal mail is also available to everyone, but it's as functionally equivalent to Instagram as RCS is.
    - viraptor 2y ago
      "I want Instagram" and "I want to be in touch with my friends and family" are completely separate things. You don't need social networks for that. It was possible to be in touch before the internet and I believe that Instagram didn't improve it at all.
      - bigfatkitten 2y ago
        By that logic, we could simply ban the internet and save a lot of trouble. Society functioned without it for thousands of years.
        viraptor 2y ago
        Why go to extremes? The internet does improve the friends&family communication a lot and is useful. I'm saying that Instagram and other social media don't improve it that much beyond direct communication.