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UK: Under-16s to be banned from social media, Starmer announces (www.bbc.co.uk)
submitted 1 month ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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Under-16s will be banned from using social media, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced.

Starmer says social media is making children unhappy, making it easier for bullies to abuse children, and is "designed to be addictive". A ban would give children more time, security, and more freedom to grow up - as well as more opportunities, he adds.

"That is all any parent wants. They want to know that Britain will be better for their children, that they will get a fair chance," the PM says in a speech in Downing Street.

Starmer adds that the government is "not prepared to compromise" on the safety and happiness of children - and that includes in the regulation and enforcement of this ban. He says the government has listened to and learned from countries like Australia, where a similar ban has already been introduced.

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[–] 2 points 1 month ago*

and a large part of that is the up/down vote systems, and other gamifications of human interaction.

And they've spread out of social media into many other website types.

All it does is extremify human interaction and is a major component in why we're at the point we are right now with right wing extremism and fascism on the rise.

Get rid of these systems, and let people just communicate with eachother without having to appeal to a hive mind to tell people who gave up thinking if somethings good or bad based on votes/reactions/etc

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