There are likely benifits to social media for some kids in some cases. But the question is about overall health. Even their first example they talk about a person who has hard time making connections in real life so they need online contact. Yeah, it might seem that way but being forced to connect in real life is what makes it easier over time. Continually avoiding real life through social media is what makes it so unhealthy.
this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2026
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So you are criticising this story for being to broad and generalised by using a broad and generalised example. You are right the thirty minutes my kids were blocked on social media was absolutely worth the upheaval and angst of this government imposed erosion of EVERYONES privacy. Oh and before you start waffling about how I should be policing their social media usage, I was doing that before this farce was implemented through the astounding application of a skill called parenting. Only thing is now the major control I had over my kids most prevalent online usage... Youtube... Is now gone as I no longer have the ability to view what they are using.
This law doesn't actually make anything better, it doesn't help and it just causes division and more angst. When the vast majority of the kids that go to school with mine have had uninterrupted usage of social media and its only 1 in 10 or 1 in 20 that get targeted it is just another means of ostracization, only this is government mandated.
But hey if you think this is a good and effective law I have a bridge you might be interested in, solidly made only one previous owner.
Uh no.
That's not why sm was banned for kids. It was because it's a highly addictive algorithmic machine.
"Go out and meet kids your own age" is a ridiculously boomer take.
You don't think the issues are related?
With all due respect that's the justification, not the "why". The why is politicians wanting to be seen as proactive and advertising company's wanting to protect the goose that lays the golden eggs by heading of regulation on advertising of the gambling industry. If addictive and algorithmic harms was the actual concerns we would be in the process of legislating the gambling industry out of existence. Add to the above a light sprinkling of oh so grudging compliance from social media companies who will be seeing a boost in the value of their data now they can tie it with even greater certainty to a real world ID.
I am ideologically opposed to the Liberal party, it's shit like this that makes me reconsider my support of the Labor party. I already vote independent most of the time, looks like Labor doesn't want to win me back.