Op-Ed: Australian social media ban starts with much angst, EU looking at its own ban. Now what?

Australian legislation could force social media firms to take steps to prevent those under 16 years of age from accessing platforms such as X, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram – Copyright GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File Michael M. Santiago

Depriving under-16 teens of psycho-bot-infested and AI-addled social media isn’t the end of the world. You’d think it was. Let’s just say the problem was real enough to get politicians on the same side.

The first couple of days of the Australian ban have produced the expected sage babbling and “free speech” rants. These things don’t stand a lot of scrutiny.

How much free speech do you expect from a bot or a paid troll?

How much total BS do you need if you’re under 16?

Does online hate improve quality of life?

How much avoidable misery on social media is enough?

Has social media caused suicides, yes or no?

Are there paedophiles on social media, yes or no?

How physically and financially dangerous is social media?

If you want to “radicalize” anyone, does social media play a role?

Do we have enough nutcases spruiking everything from politics to toxic waste as makeup yet?

Are we pretending that anyone has any sort of grip on the excesses of social media?

Big money social media is just a sales platform. It has nothing to do with anyone’s rights, hopes, or self-worth.

The net result in Australia so far is “meh”. Staying away from the screens isn’t totally unpopular. The apps banned include serial offenders like deeply politicized sites, Facebook, YouTube, Reddit, TikTok, Twitch, Snapchat, and an option to ban others.

Bear in mind that to the fearless self-denying altruists of social media, user numbers are currency. People get habituated to social media. Start young. It’s just another middle-class thing in many ways.

This is exactly what people said about television a few generations ago. Partly right but not, as usual, crediting anyone with the ability to make up their own minds. Bear in mind that much adult media is directed at the literacy levels of six-year-olds.

Protecting kids isn’t wrong.

Just unusual in this sleazy, irrational world.

Given that most of the criticism comes from countries where hate is an actual industry sector, Australians don’t feel obliged to listen to it. We can do without it. Either come up with an effective protection solution or shut up. At least find out what you’re talking about.

The EU, interestingly, has come up with its own ideas for an age ban. Various countries have their own bans, and the EU as a whole may follow suit with a community-wide version of age restrictions.

Now a few questions for remarkably subhuman pig-like Masters of the Tinynepotisticmindsverse:

Why is social media allowing suicide related posts?

How about stalking?

How about global distribution of malware?

This is pure criminality, not “social media” of any kind. Why not ban it?