Jonathan Haidt and smartphones: For his movement to work, parents need to give something up.
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Jonathan Haidt and smartphones: For his movement to work, parents need to give something up.

Slate  

On the issue of kids, smartphones, and social media, a vibe shift is happening, and it’s happening on the left, right, and in the center. Not so long ago, the default position, if one were an internet-savvy older person beginning to feel queasy when noticing groups of kids bent over their phones, was to say to oneself, “Well, that’s life; once, Socrates feared print’s effect on memory, and now, I fear this.” One definitely didn’t say out loud, online, “The kids shouldn’t have phones,” unless one were writing for the Atlantic. “Some of us really don’t like our screen time habits criticized,” Taylor wrote in a follow-up Substack analyzing the replies to her recent “it’s the phones” provocation on X. Haidt works his way around some of the most popular “it’s not the phones!” counterarguments. Sure, there’s distance between “banning your kid from a smartphone” and “going to the U.S. Open alone.” But for the parents I did a gut check with, if the ability to call up an app during the school day and see that their children were right where they were supposed to be—or to check texts, or a child’s social media, for proof of life and safety—was available?

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History of this topic

How will Australia's under-16 social media ban work? We asked the law's enforcer
5 days, 20 hours ago

How will Australia's under-16 social media ban work? We asked the law's enforcer

NPR  

How will Australia's under-16 social media ban work? We asked the law's enforcer toggle caption Provided by the Australian eSafety Commission Australia passed one of the strictest internet crackdowns in the world last month, banning children under 16 from being on social media or opening new accounts. Sponsor Message Research that's examined the link between social media use and teens' …

Dutch MP will propose banning children under 15 from using social media
1 week ago

Dutch MP will propose banning children under 15 from using social media

NL Times  

Dutch political party D66 is advocating for a minimum age of 15 for social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. “Tech giants are harming children’s health because social media is deliberately designed to be addictive,” said D66 parliamentarian Hanneke van der Werf, according to RTL." “The Netherlands doesn’t let cigarette manufacturers determine and enforce age restrictions,” Van der …

California bill would require mental health warnings on social media sites
2 weeks ago

California bill would require mental health warnings on social media sites

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy California, home to some of …

California to consider requiring mental health warnings on social media sites
2 weeks ago

California to consider requiring mental health warnings on social media sites

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California, home to some of the largest technology companies in the world, would be the first U.S. state to require mental health warning labels on social media sites if lawmakers pass a bill introduced Monday. “The promise of social media, although real, has turned into a situation where they’re turning our children’s attention into a commodity,” Assemblymember …

Texas weighs social media bans for minors as schools and police face challenges
2 weeks, 4 days ago

Texas weighs social media bans for minors as schools and police face challenges

Associated Press  

As school districts struggle to control the spread of cyberbullying, sexual abuse images and online exploitation among their students, Texas lawmakers could consider banning social media from minors, among other sweeping measures, in the upcoming legislative session. While they welcome any efforts to reduce harm to children, school officials and cybercrime investigators say more needs to be done to hold …

Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere — or even there?
2 weeks, 6 days ago

Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere — or even there?

Associated Press  

It is an ambitious social experiment of our moment in history — one that experts say could accomplish something that parents, schools and other governments have attempted with varying degrees of success: keeping kids off social media until they turn 16. “It’s clear that social media companies have to be held accountable, which is what Australia is trying to do,” …

Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere or even there?
2 weeks, 6 days ago

Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere or even there?

New Indian Express  

It is an ambitious social experiment of our moment in history — one that experts say could accomplish something that parents, schools and other governments have attempted with varying degrees of success: keeping kids off social media until they turn 16. Australia's new law, approved by its Parliament last week, is an attempt to swim against many tides of modern …

Australia's PM says he is 'ready to engage' with Musk on social media ban for teens amid backlash
Top News
3 weeks, 2 days ago

Australia's PM says he is 'ready to engage' with Musk on social media ban for teens amid backlash

Firstpost  

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed the parliament’s Thursday passage of landmark legislation requiring social media firms to take “reasonable steps” to prevent young teens from having accounts Australia’s prime minister said Sunday he was ready to “engage” with billionaire X owner Elon Musk over his criticism of the government’s ban on under-16s joining social media. Anthony Albanese hailed the …

JUST SPAMMING | Can social media be kept out of the child's reach?
3 weeks, 3 days ago

JUST SPAMMING | Can social media be kept out of the child's reach?

Deccan Chronicle  

The latest news from down under is rather baffling. The Online Safety Amendment Act 2024 passed by the Australian Senate last week seeks to ban children below the age of 16 from using social media apps like TikTok, Facebook, Reddit, Snapchat, Instagram and X. Because in the Indian context, 70 per cent of the children access social media from their …

Founder of teenage-run 6 News channel criticises Anthony Albanese's social media ban for children under 16
3 weeks, 3 days ago

Founder of teenage-run 6 News channel criticises Anthony Albanese's social media ban for children under 16

Daily Mail  

The founder of an Australian news channel staffed exclusively by teenage journalists has responded to new laws which will ban children under the age of 16 from social media. Leo Puglisi, 17, has run the online news service 6 News since beginning his media career at age 11. 'As Australia's only national streaming news channel run almost entirely by teenagers …

Is a phone for your kid on the holiday shopping list? Read this first
3 weeks, 3 days ago

Is a phone for your kid on the holiday shopping list? Read this first

CNN  

CNN — Your child has been asking for one for so long, and the holiday season might be the time –– especially if the gift will make this Christmas or Hanukkah magical. “Parents have an incredible opportunity to be influential in their children’s use of social media,” Everett said. “That’s why we want to do what we can to empower …

Is a phone for your kid on the holiday shopping list? Read this first
3 weeks, 3 days ago

Is a phone for your kid on the holiday shopping list? Read this first

CNN  

CNN — Your child has been asking for one for so long, and the holiday season might be the time –– especially if the gift will make this Christmas or Hanukkah magical. “Parents have an incredible opportunity to be influential in their children’s use of social media,” Everett said. “That’s why we want to do what we can to empower …

Australia bans social media for kids under 16. But how will this even work?
3 weeks, 4 days ago

Australia bans social media for kids under 16. But how will this even work?

Firstpost  

Australia has passed legislation to ban under-16s from having an account on social media platforms. Reuters The federal parliament has passed legislation to ban people under 16 from having an account with some social media platforms. The Social Media Minimum Age bill The legislation amends the current Online Safety Act 2021 and defines an “age-restricted user” as a person under …

Australia Faces Backlash Over Landmark Social Media Ban For Under-16 Users
3 weeks, 4 days ago

Australia Faces Backlash Over Landmark Social Media Ban For Under-16 Users

ABP News  

Social media platforms have criticised Australia's newly passed law prohibiting under-16s from joining their platforms, calling it a hastily introduced measure riddled with "many unanswered questions," as reported by AFP. UNICEF Australia expressed concerns about the effectiveness of the ban, warning it could drive children into "hidden and unregulated" corners of the internet, undermining efforts to ensure their online safety. …

Australia lawmakers pass landmark social-media ban for under-16s
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Australia lawmakers pass landmark social-media ban for under-16s

Live Mint  

Australia is set to become the first country to ban social media use by under-16s after the country’s Senate overwhelmingly voted in favor of strict new legislation. “Social media is doing harm to our children and I’m calling time on it," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said when the bill was introduced to Parliament earlier this month. The legislation marks …

Australia passes landmark law banning social media for children under 16
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Australia passes landmark law banning social media for children under 16

Firstpost  

The law, expected to take effect in November 2025, sets some of the toughest social media controls in the world and will force platforms to take reasonable steps to ensure age-verification protections are in place A high school student poses with his mobile phone showing his social media applications in Melbourne, Australia, on Thursday. Reuters Australian lawmakers on Thursday passed …

Tech companies put on notice as Australia passes world-first social media ban for under-16s
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Tech companies put on notice as Australia passes world-first social media ban for under-16s

CNN  

Brisbane, Australia CNN — Australia’s parliament has passed a world-first law banning social media for children under 16, putting tech companies on notice to tighten security before a cut-off date that’s yet to be set. Under the new law, tech companies must take “reasonable steps” to prevent under-age users from accessing social media services or face fines of nearly 50 …

Tech companies put on notice as Australia passes world-first social media ban for under-16s
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Tech companies put on notice as Australia passes world-first social media ban for under-16s

CNN  

Brisbane, Australia CNN — Australia’s parliament has passed a world-first law banning social media for children under 16, putting tech companies on notice to tighten security before a cut-off date that’s yet to be set. Under the new law, tech companies must take “reasonable steps” to prevent under-age users from accessing social media services or face fines of nearly 50 …

Tens of thousands of teens lying about their age on social media to beat safeguards
4 weeks, 1 day ago

Tens of thousands of teens lying about their age on social media to beat safeguards

The Telegraph  

The majority of children using social media apps are hiding their true age to access features meant for adults and teenagers, official research has revealed. Most under-18s using apps such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat have entered fake dates of birth to appear older than their real age, according to Ofcom. The figures outline the scale of children bypassing age …

Australia social media ban: Is restricting all under-16s from social apps really the answer?
1 month ago

Australia social media ban: Is restricting all under-16s from social apps really the answer?

CNN  

Brisbane, Australia CNN — Kirra Pendergast talks to thousands of teenagers each year in her role as a cyber safety educator. The Australian government hopes to pass what it calls “world-leading” legislation this week to wipe social media accounts – including Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and X – from the devices of children under 16. Children who’ve killed themselves …

Is a “digital duty of care” enough to protect young people from social media’s harms?
1 month ago

Is a “digital duty of care” enough to protect young people from social media’s harms?

ABC  

Since the start of November, the Australian government has made two significant announcements aimed at addressing the harms that social media platforms are causing to the mental health of adolescents: that it will legislate a minimum age of 16 for access to social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X; that it will legislate a minimum age of 16 …

Australia’s plan to ban children from social media proves popular and problematic
1 month, 1 week ago

Australia’s plan to ban children from social media proves popular and problematic

Associated Press  

MELBOURNE, Australia — How do you protect children from the harms of social media? The Australian government’s plan to ban children from social media platforms including X, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram until their 16th birthdays is politically popular. More than 140 such experts signed an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemning the 16-year age limit as “too blunt …

Australia's plan to ban children from social media proves popular and problematic
1 month, 1 week ago

Australia's plan to ban children from social media proves popular and problematic

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Australian government’s plan to ban children from social …

Australia to Make Big Tech Liable for Citizens Online Safety
1 month, 1 week ago

Australia to Make Big Tech Liable for Citizens Online Safety

Deccan Chronicle  

The Australian government plans to enact laws requiring big tech firms to protect its citizens online, the latest move by the center-left Labor administration to crack down on social media including through age limits and curbs on misinformation. It would “keep users safe and help prevent online harms.” The Australian government has moved in recent years to crack down on …

It’s time to ‘divorce’ your children from their phones
1 month, 1 week ago

It’s time to ‘divorce’ your children from their phones

The Independent  

It’s a discussion that has become a weekly occurrence in Soban Bashir’s home: a “game” that many parents will be familiar with – one of stubbornly sticking to your guns, played on both sides. “Social media is doing harm to our kids and I’m calling time on it,” Albanese said during his announcement. “The thing is, asking the internet, rather …

Australia bans social media for kids under 16
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Australia bans social media for kids under 16

India Today  

Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, announced on Thursday that the government will introduce legislation to ban children under 16 from using social media platforms. “The onus won’t be on parents or young people.” IMPACT ON MAJOR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS Communications Minister Michelle Rowland clarified that the new regulations would apply to major platforms such as Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, ByteDance’s …

Under 16s will be banned from using social media, Australia announces
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Under 16s will be banned from using social media, Australia announces

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Social media is doing harm to our kids and I’m calling time on it,” Australian prime minister …

Australia proposes social media ban for children under the age of 16
Top News
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Australia proposes social media ban for children under the age of 16

NPR  

Australia proposes social media ban for children under the age of 16 toggle caption MICK TSIKAS/AAP MELBOURNE, Australia — The Australian government announced on Thursday what it described as world-leading legislation that would institute an age limit of 16 years for children to start using social media, and hold platforms responsible for ensuring compliance. Sponsor Message The Digital Industry Group …

Australian PM Anthony Albanese wants ban on social media for under 16s
Trending News
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Australian PM Anthony Albanese wants ban on social media for under 16s

Al Jazeera  

Legislation to prevent children accessing social media will be introduced by Australia’s parliament later this year and will take effect 12 months after ratification. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced plans to legislate for a ban on social media for children under 16 years of age, an initiative his government says is world-leading. Australia’s Minister of Communications Michelle Rowland …

Federal government's looming social media ban may be bad for isolated, marginalised teenagers
2 months ago

Federal government's looming social media ban may be bad for isolated, marginalised teenagers

ABC  

Australia will be the first in the world to ban social media for kids if the federal government goes ahead with its proposal to tighten restrictions by the end of the year. Support for young people and families The Butterfly Foundation: National helpline 1800 ED HOPE, 8am-midnight, 7 days a week ReachOut Australia: Confidential online peer support for young people …

UK Considers New Smartphone Bans for Children
2 months ago

UK Considers New Smartphone Bans for Children

Wired  

The UK parliament is considering clamping down on how young people use smartphones. A bill brought forward by a Labour member of parliament proposes both banning phones in schools and raising the age at which children can consent to social media companies using their data. Experts on the impact of digital technologies argue that the legislation could end up shutting …

Platforms, not parents, to be responsible for social media age limit, but penalties as yet undecided
2 months, 1 week ago

Platforms, not parents, to be responsible for social media age limit, but penalties as yet undecided

ABC  

Social media platforms will bear the onus of enforcing the federal government's age limit, not parents, the communications minister has confirmed. Michelle Rowland told the ABC's News Breakfast on Friday the government's age limit "trial," a fact-finding mission to understand the capabilities of platforms in this space, has shown that they "have the capacity to do more and they should …

Teens already on social media could be exempt from a ban under an option canvassed by Anthony Albanese
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Teens already on social media could be exempt from a ban under an option canvassed by Anthony Albanese

ABC  

Teenagers who are already on social media could be allowed to keep their accounts under the ban promised by the federal government. Mr Albanese wrote to premiers and chief ministers asking for assistance on setting up a minimum age to use social media, including any evidence they may have on what age the ban should lift. The SA's examination of …

As a federal social media ban looms, marginalised groups fear youth could be cut off from their communities
2 months, 3 weeks ago

As a federal social media ban looms, marginalised groups fear youth could be cut off from their communities

ABC  

Amy Sargeant credits the internet as a "lifeline" that supported her through her early years of transitioning. But Ms Sargeant is concerned banning young people from social media could prevent marginalised people from finding "life-saving" resources they may not be able to access offline. Social media ban 'doesn't address the root of the problem' Curtin University internet cultures expert Sky …

Albanese plans social media ban for children
3 months ago

Albanese plans social media ban for children

China Daily  

Australians have become attentive to the recent announcement of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who plans to ban children from social media platforms amid growing fears that these sites are having a negative impact on their development. Health experts said the overuse of social media can lead to feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, and depression as young people compare themselves with others …

Academy with 35,000 pupils becomes first in England to ban smartphones
3 months, 1 week ago

Academy with 35,000 pupils becomes first in England to ban smartphones

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Ormiston Academies Trust’s chief executive said the move was …

Children and young teenagers could be banned from using social media, minister says
3 months, 1 week ago

Children and young teenagers could be banned from using social media, minister says

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Children in the …

Facebook's swipe at Anthony Albanese over his proposed Australian social media ban
3 months, 1 week ago

Facebook's swipe at Anthony Albanese over his proposed Australian social media ban

Daily Mail  

Facebook's head of global affairs has called a proposed social media ban for Aussie teenagers a 'whack-a-mole nightmare' for parents that would fail to stop children from using the app. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has proposed legislating a minimum age for social media use in a bid to restrict teenagers from using platforms like Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram for their …

Australia proposes legal minimum age for children accessing social media
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Australia proposes legal minimum age for children accessing social media

Associated Press  

MELBOURNE, Australia — The Australian government on Tuesday promised to legislate this year to enforce a minimum age for children to access social media, but it has yet to announce how ages will be verified. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government would soon trial age verification technology with a view to banning children from opening social media accounts. Lisa …

Australia: Ahead Of Polls Next Year, Anthony Albanese And Peter Dutton Push For Social Media Ban For Kids
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Australia: Ahead Of Polls Next Year, Anthony Albanese And Peter Dutton Push For Social Media Ban For Kids

ABP News  

The Australian government led by PM Anthony Albanese plans to introduce a new legislation aimed at prohibiting children from using social media platforms, citing concerns over their physical and mental well-being. The draft legislation would compel social media companies to implement technological safeguards to prevent children within the restricted age group from accessing their platforms. We will collaborate closely with …

Social media ban for children to be introduced this year, but age limit undetermined
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Social media ban for children to be introduced this year, but age limit undetermined

ABC  

Children aged up to 16 could be banned from social media, as the federal government promises legislation to impose a minimum age to use platforms like Facebook and Instagram by the end of this year. It follows changes proposed by the South Australian government earlier this week, which would force social media companies to ban children 13 years old or …

Social media companies to face fines for allowing children under 14 on their platforms under proposed SA laws
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Social media companies to face fines for allowing children under 14 on their platforms under proposed SA laws

ABC  

Social media giants would be forced to ban children under the age of 14 from their platforms or face hefty penalties, under proposed laws in South Australia that could be replicated in other states. SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said the proposal was fuelled by concerns social media was harming young people and affecting their mental health, leaving parents "almost powerless". …

Canada man sues social media giants YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, for being too addictive, causing negative body image
4 months, 1 week ago

Canada man sues social media giants YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, for being too addictive, causing negative body image

Hindustan Times  

A 24 year old man from Montreal, Canada, is launching a class-action lawsuit against social media companies like TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, Instagram, and Facebook for being “too addictive.” Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram apps are seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. The man started using social media in 2015, due to which, he claimed …

American parents want their children to have phones in schools
4 months, 2 weeks ago

American parents want their children to have phones in schools

Live Mint  

“It’s like they don’t trust us,” says Eva King, a 14-year-old pupil at Alice Deal Middle School in Washington, DC. “It would be unrealistic to expect that one thing—social media—is driving adolescent mental health.” Most parents want their children to have phones available at school. In February the National Parents Union, an advocacy group, polled 1,506 public-school parents and found …

When should teenagers get a phone and how can families delay their child joining social media?
4 months, 3 weeks ago

When should teenagers get a phone and how can families delay their child joining social media?

ABC  

Aalia Elachi was eight when some of her friends started getting smartphones, prompting her to ask her parents for one, too. Now nearly 15, Aalia still doesn't have a phone or use social media, something she and her parents say they're grateful for. Professor Haidt, whose latest book is The Anxious Generation, argues that children old enough to have progressed …

Senate to consider bills that aim to protect children and teenagers online
5 months ago

Senate to consider bills that aim to protect children and teenagers online

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Senate will consider legislation this week that aims to protect children from dangerous online content, moving forward with what could become the first sweeping new regulation of the tech industry in decades. On this issue, we desperately need to catch up.” The online safety bill, which the Senate will consider along with a separate bill to update …

California lawmakers continue push to regulate social media despite legal hurdles
5 months ago

California lawmakers continue push to regulate social media despite legal hurdles

LA Times  

Legislation being considered in California would prohibit social media companies from sending children notifications at night and during school hours. “We need to act now to protect our children,” Bonta said earlier this year, by “strengthening data privacy protections for minors and safeguarding youth against social media addiction.” California Gov. Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg apologized to those attending a …

Opinion: Smartphones have silenced kids, and that isn’t a good thing. Hooray for LAUSD’s ban
6 months ago

Opinion: Smartphones have silenced kids, and that isn’t a good thing. Hooray for LAUSD’s ban

LA Times  

A high school student look at her phone in 2019. Now, our letter writers are once again united, but this time in praise: With barely any exceptions, they’re writing in approval of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s ban on phones during the school day. To the editor: I just finished my 29th year teaching high school English and would …

California governor wants to restrict smartphone usage in schools
6 months ago

California governor wants to restrict smartphone usage in schools

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that he wants to restrict students’ usage of smartphones during the school day, citing the mental health risks of social media. “We support legislation which empowers school leaders to make policy decisions at a local level that reflect their community’s concerns and what’s necessary to support their students,” spokesperson Troy Flint …

LAUSD, fed up with kids distracted by social media, to consider cellphone ban
6 months, 1 week ago

LAUSD, fed up with kids distracted by social media, to consider cellphone ban

LA Times  

The Los Angeles Unified School District board is considering a resolution that would ban student cellphone use. It directs staff to “develop and present to the public” policies that would prohibit student use of cellphones and social media “during the entire school day,” including lunch and breaks. “Simply put, they make kids more depressed and just plain dumber.” District high …

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