Banning Social Media For Kids Is So F--king Dumb
It’s an appealing Idea. It’s a Bad Idea.
Hi,
As you read this, overnight Australia became the first idiotic country to ban social media for anyone under 16 years old, and New Zealand's Education Minister has confirmed that Aotearoa intends to be the second idiotic country (before the next election – more on that soon).
On the surface, I get it. Getting kids of horrific social media seems sensible. I hate to think what social media would have done to a young David Farrier.
That's my knee-jerk reaction, at least. But while I understand the urge to ban children from social media – that doesn't mean what's happened in Australia today (and what the New Zealand government confirms it will also embrace) is not a very, very fucking stupid idea.
I am going to throw things over to Dylan Reeve, who you will know well by now. I made Tickled with him, and he's written a bunch for Webworm. He has a really nuanced and informed view of technology and the internet – and he has kids. Like, more than one! I've met them. They're great.
See you in the comments – I'm deeply curious to hear from my readers about this: The ones in Australia, New Zealand, and the ones elsewhere. The ones with kids, the ones without.
David.
It’s An Appealing Idea. It’s a Bad Idea.
by Dylan Reeve
Today is the day that teenagers across Australia wake up with, in theory, no access to social media — specifically Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, X, Snapchat, Reddit, Twitch, YouTube and Kick.
If New Zealand group B416 (“before sixteen” but written in a cool way that makes it clear they’re down with the youth), backed by Zuru magnate Anna Mowbray, gets their way then Kiwi teens will soon have a similar day of reckoning. And that’s looking increasingly realistic.
It’s probably been a while since it last happened, but former TV3 political editor Duncan Garner managed to drop some breaking news on Monday afternoon, releasing a sneak peek of an upcoming episode of his Editor In Chief podcast where Education Minister Erica Stanford confirmed that the New Zealand government intends to follow Australia’s example and enact a social media ban for Under-16s.
Before the next election.
