Under 14? No social media for you!

[BrandonTech.05]

Summary

Florida Govenor Ron DeSantis passed a new law banning people under the age of 14 from using social media with the reasoning that it is heavily addictive and the young people don't understand what they are getting into. 

This legislation, called HB 3, is the same legislation that is requiring age verification for sexually explicit websites. 

 

Quotes

Quote

CNN - Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law banning children under age 14 from having their own social media accounts on Monday, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

Fourteen and 15-year-olds will be allowed to have accounts with parental consent.

In addition to restricting social media accounts for children, the legislation also places restrictions on pornographic websites.

The bill, known as HB 3, requires age verification for those who visit sexually explicit websites. HB 3 goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

 

Quote

AP News - 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida will have one of the country’s most restrictive social media bans for minors — if it withstands expected legal challenges — under a bill signed by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday.

The bill will ban social media accounts for children under 14 and require parental permission for 14- and 15-year-olds. It was slightly watered down from a proposal DeSantis vetoed earlier this month, a week before the annual legislative session ended.

The new law was Republican Speaker Paul Renner’s top legislative priority. It takes effect Jan. 1.

“A child in their brain development doesn’t have the ability to know that they’re being sucked into these addictive technologies and to see the harm and step away from it, and because of that we have to step in for them,” Renner said at the bill-signing ceremony held at a Jacksonville school.

My thoughts

I think all of this new legislation has the right heart and people under 14 100% should NOT be on social media. There are so many scammers and child predators that are just waiting for kids like these to fall for their schemes. 

That said, I think the age verification is a TERRIBLE idea. Not because verifying age is bad in order to get on these websites, but it 100% could get hacked. 

 

Sources

 https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/25/tech/florida-social-media-law-age/index.html

https://apnews.com/article/florida-social-media-ban-desantis-fd07f61e167bd9109a83cd7355b5f164 

[Beerzerker]

Yes, I agree about all the stuff a minor can get into before they know it.
If an adult can be scammed a child certainly can be too, often with serious consequenses the child and parents will both have to face and sometimes it can lead to some really bad stuff.
Even if verfication can be fooled it's still better than sitting around just watching it happen and not even trying to stop it somehow.

While it's not a "Perfect" solution, it's still better than doing or even trying nothing at all about it.

[jagdtigger]

Good move. Now we only have to figure out how to cure the already existing smombies.........

[da na]

I approve of any legislation that will keep babies off the internet, not for the safety of 14-year-olds but for the sanity of everyone else.

[FlyingPotato_is_taken]

@jagdtigger I suggest shutting down the internet for 2 weeks and nuking social media from orbit.

 

[OhYou_]

Finally a law no one can even argue against, everyones for it. Next lets ban them from voicechats in games

[TatamiMatt]

1 minute ago, OhYou_ said:

Finally a law no one can even argue against, everyones for it. Next lets ban them from voicechats in games

This one i dont entirely agree with, children should still be able to have fun and converse with each other, ban then from game voice chats theyre not old enough for though, all for it, they shouldnt have the game to begin with but we're clearly not able to stop that happening

[BrandonTech.05]

1 minute ago, OhYou_ said:

Finally a law no one can even argue against, everyones for it. Next lets ban them from voicechats in games

It's not a perfect law. Like I said, the age verification is pretty rough. But I am for banning them from voice chat. I have permanent hearing damage from squeakers yelling in my ears.

[Blasty Blosty]

3 minutes ago, OhYou_ said:

Next lets ban them from voicechats in games

no, i need to shout at my teammates for not holding B site

[RasOls89]

24 minutes ago, BrandonTech.05 said:

Summary

Florida Govenor Ron DeSantis passed a new law banning people under the age of 14 from using social media with the reasoning that it is heavily addictive and the young people don't understand what they are getting into. 

This legislation, called HB 3, is the same legislation that is requiring age verification for sexually explicit websites. 

 

Quotes

My thoughts

I think all of this new legislation has the right heart and people under 14 100% should NOT be on social media. There are so many scammers and child predators that are just waiting for kids like these to fall for their schemes. 

That said, I think the age verification is a TERRIBLE idea. Not because verifying age is bad in order to get on these websites, but it 100% could get hacked. 

 

Sources

 https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/25/tech/florida-social-media-law-age/index.html

https://apnews.com/article/florida-social-media-ban-desantis-fd07f61e167bd9109a83cd7355b5f164 

 

I honestly don't like that they link two diffrent things under one law. I also don't like laws that basicly replaces parents responsiblitites with "this is the law". I think that more internet litteracy and learning minors how to avoid dangers on the internet is in the long run better then this.

To me the whole "won't someone please think of the children" argument is always an easy one to make and to me it's usualy the easy way out instead of looking to solve the actual problem.

[wanderingfool2]

16 minutes ago, OhYou_ said:

Finally a law no one can even argue against, everyones for it. Next lets ban them from voicechats in games

The age verification I think is a bit troublesome.  The way I look at it that kind of activity most people want to stay roughly anonymous of, and having an age verification is just one hack away from having that  information plastered around the internet with your real information.

 

Although IF there is a system that the government can come up with where you can have age verification without handing over your identity and without the government themselves tracking you [which is effectively impossible or I can't think of anyways with the way all governments operate] then I am okay with it.

 

 

For the kids under 14, I'm mostly okay with that although maybe it should be 13 (like so many other sites already implement)...but I agree with this in general because there are too many kids at the moment who have to have social media in order to "keep up with the Joneses".  It creates an issue for parents who don't necessarily want their kids on social media but the lack of social media greatly impacts their lives.

 

With that said, I do feel there should have been something instead where kids under a certain age could have a parent curated account.

[zombiepunk10]

25 minutes ago, OhYou_ said:

Finally a law no one can even argue against, everyones for it. Next lets ban them from voicechats in games

Honestly, I think I'm the only 15 year old at my high school who doesn't have a phone, thank god. I wouldn't ban some of us teens from voicechats, though I don't even use it and some others are assholes in VC, so I think as long as your not a dick, your fine. but under 13, yes, no VC because, well, creeps

[zombiepunk10]

26 minutes ago, Blasty Blosty said:

no, i need to shout at my teammates for not holding B site

Real tho

[wanderingfool2]

 

3 minutes ago, RasOls89 said:

I honestly don't like that they link two diffrent things under one law. I also don't like laws that basicly replaces parents responsiblitites with "this is the law". I think that more internet litteracy and learning minors how to avoid dangers on the internet is in the long run better then this.

To me the whole "won't someone please think of the children" argument is always an easy one to make and to me it's usualy the easy way out instead of looking to solve the actual problem.

 

There can be a social stigmatization though, if one parent doesn't allow their kids to have social media it can greatly effect them in terms of their actual social life.  As much as it's also about parents educating kids, the harsh reality is is that it's not happening and parents can't keep their eyes on their kids online activities 24/7.  

 

It should be classes taught in school, and even at the early ages of like 10 it should be shown what happens...but the reality of it is as well is at a certain age kids are just dumb when it comes to those things.  They don't think of the consequences and no matter how much you tell them the dangers there will be a bunch of them that still do things on dares or remain "popular" which sparks the whole issue that this law is bringing forth.

[RasOls89]

1 minute ago, wanderingfool2 said:

 

 

There can be a social stigmatization though, if one parent doesn't allow their kids to have social media it can greatly effect them in terms of their actual social life.  As much as it's also about parents educating kids, the harsh reality is is that it's not happening and parents can't keep their eyes on their kids online activities 24/7.  

 

It should be classes taught in school, and even at the early ages of like 10 it should be shown what happens...but the reality of it is as well is at a certain age kids are just dumb when it comes to those things.  They don't think of the consequences and no matter how much you tell them the dangers there will be a bunch of them that still do things on dares or remain "popular" which sparks the whole issue that this law is bringing forth.

 

Social media is here to stay and we have to accept is even as much as we might dislike it. And of course the parents can't keep constant watch on their children. I just think that making it into law seems like the easy way out instead of putting forth laws that forces the website to moderate their content. 

 

The problem is that kids will be kids and even without social media they will do stupid things that puts them and/or others in danger so I just don't see it as a solution. Im also reminded of 

  wich talks about a problem with how the media is reporting on tiktok trends.

[porina]

Isn't a problem with banning based on age is that now sites will need to know the ages of everyone using them. I'm going to assume a check box that says "I'm over 13" isn't going to cut it, legally speaking. 

[Godlygamer23]

How are websites going to "verify" age? The information is voluntary - if I really want to use a site that requires a certain age, I can just lie about it. 

[porina]

16 minutes ago, Godlygamer23 said:

How are websites going to "verify" age? The information is voluntary - if I really want to use a site that requires a certain age, I can just lie about it. 

The current scenario of a box you fill in with no verification might not hold much longer. It depends on how the law is worded but if it requires some additional verification, that could tend towards requiring further personally identifying information along with it.

[jagdtigger]

1 hour ago, TatamiMatt said:

This one i dont entirely agree with, children should still be able to have fun and converse with each other

So they should go out and play?

[zombiepunk10]

.

[zombiepunk10]

21 minutes ago, porina said:

The current scenario of a box you fill in with no verification might not hold much longer. It depends on how the law is worded but if it requires some additional verification, that could tend towards requiring further personally identifying information along with it.

I really wouldn't be surprised if the sites started asking for your Social Security number like some website already are.

[zombiepunk10]

7 minutes ago, jagdtigger said:

So they should go out and play?

There is times when they cant just "play outside" together. Like, if the parent doesn't allow it, maybe its raining, maybe they wanna talk to someone outside of their town, you have to think about those things too.

[Brooksie359]

3 minutes ago, zombiepunk10 said:

There is times when they cant just "play outside" together. Like, if the parent doesn't allow it, maybe its raining, maybe they wanna talk to someone outside of their town, you have to think about those things too.

The suicide rate had a dramatic rise when kids had access to social media so not really sure the idea that not being able to talk to people all the time is a fair point. Also this is even assuming that kids would be talking to each other rather than doom scrolling or any number of psychologically destructive behaviors. I would even bet that use of social media leads to less social interaction ironically enough. 

[zombiepunk10]

Just now, Brooksie359 said:

The suicide rate had a dramatic rise when kids had access to social media so not really sure the idea that not being able to talk to people all the time is a fair point. Also this is even assuming that kids would be talking to each other rather than doom scrolling or any number of psychologically destructive behaviors. I would even bet that use of social media leads to less social interaction ironically enough. 

Oh I meant in video games no SM, sorry for not saying that. though you are right, SM is not good, just eradicate it in general. also, I feel that they need to be better with VC monitoring, not crappy AI bs that will get you banned for say frick.

[jagdtigger]

9 minutes ago, zombiepunk10 said:

There is times when they cant just "play outside" together. Like, if the parent doesn't allow it, maybe its raining, maybe they wanna talk to someone outside of their town, you have to think about those things too.

The poisonous mindset that makes ppl into a smombie. No you dont have to be available at all times, no you dont have to reach anyone at anytime and instantly, and this is especially true for kids in 99.9% of the time. There is always a tomorrow and there is always a game they can play at home when for whatever reason they cant go outside.
Never had a phone as a kid until i got into middle school (even then it was some cheap basic one) and still survived and still had friends. And i mean real friends who help in trouble instead of running.