Social media ban for kids under 16?

[SixFootSexy]

The government will say, "we're protecting the kids," then take away all your privacy and rights one-by-one. Sounds familiar.

Good idea, America should do it as well. Big Brother is good for a populous.

Blatant disregard for privacy. Give me liberty or give me a social media account.

Good idea, but should be 18+ not 16.

Other

[Gold618]

The synopsis to all of this, is that a bit of social media use per day, is healthy for kids.

Leaving aside his misuse of the word "synopsis" (he almost certainly meant "conclusion" rather than synopsis, when considering the context), if two groups of children are used in a study like this, with one being the control group, and one wishes to determine the extent to which there is a difference in the outcome between the two, all that one can really say is that there may be a strong correlation between on the one hand loneliness and depression, and on the other the time spent using social media. Even if a stronger case could be made, and one could justifiably say that there is an established connection between the two phenomena, one could not jump to the additional and completely unwarranted conclusion that "some social media usage is actually good for us".

Good? I mean, thinking this through logically, wouldn't it make sense that if social media usage causes depression, and that less time spent using it leads to healthier mental health outcomes, that using no social media at all would be best? How can he justify his claim that using social media is at all healthy in any way? The fact is that it is not, there are no reasons at all to think that people were unhappy in times past because they couldn't log on to Facebook. That's just patently false, and absurd to boot!

I haven't watched the whole thing yet, but I hope it gets much better than this.

[SixFootSexy]

The only control group you could take is tribal villages and the Amish. Otherwise every facet of our modern lives is affected by technology.

[Gold618]

That depends on what you mean by "modern". Technology from the last ten years? Twenty? Fifty? For example, I don't have a smartphone, never shopped online, always use cash, don't watch TV, and apart from this site don't use social media. I do, however, drive a car and have an older phone, one that can't be used to access the net.

[Jessica405]

Other. It won't work unless strict age verification is brought in WOLDWIDE or VPN's are banned, like in China.

[MrOracle]

If a kid needs a phone, get them a flip phone. When they can afford a smartphone themselves (meaning no one else is allowed to buy them one either), then they can have one.

I've never understood parents who buy their kids a $1000 glass pocket computer. It's insane, and that's before we even talk about the problems they can get into online.

[Gold618]

That would be a much better idea, and it would actually work. I've got a flip-phone, and for the basics (calling, texting) they're great.

[DrPepper12]

Why not? Minors are restricted in a myriad of ways for good reason.

[Gold618]

It won't work though.

[Anonymous]

Good idea, but it should be 18+, and America should do it as well.