[megaman22]

All the sick shit on the internet was there 20 years ago. It might have been a little more pixellated and lower-resolution, and getting it on a 56kbp modem that gurgled and screamed and tied up the phone line was perhaps a bit tricky to do surreptitiously, but it was there. We turned out fine.

If I did ever put some sort of parental blockers on my children's devices, I'd try to find some half-assed thing like the blockers I learned to go around and through, to give them a challenge.

[WA]

Have you read the piece? It’s not about sick shit on the internet, but the negative sides of social media.

And Social Media wasn’t the same 20 years ago.

Furthermore, the sick shit 20 years ago was harder to find and a lot slower to download as well.

[dragonwriter]

> Furthermore, the sick shit 20 years ago was harder to find and a lot slower to download as well.

Slower to download, yes.

Harder to find? No, not at all. In fact, 20 years ago it was a lot easier to accidentally fall into, even directly off of Google.

[gaius]

And Social Media wasn’t the same 20 years ago.

Consider: musical.ly is aimed at kids. Kids have no money. How does musical.ly plan to make money? There is no possible ethical way.

[megaman22]

Yes, I read it. It's a lot of hand-wringing and pearl-clutching, and worrying that children might be talking in codes...

There were forums, there was AIM. People were shitty to each other in person. The twelve-year olds that are yelling racial slurs at you and calling you a noob in Battlefield were doing the same to their friends on the couch playing Mortal Kombat.

Every generation needs its existential threat to the wholesomeness of children. Comic books, jazz, rock and roll, hippy counter-culture, rap, and video games are mostly played out. Now it's social media.

[volkk]

The difference being that you're not engulfed in all of that for hours/days at a time like you are with today's technology. It doesn't constantly follow you around to the dinner table, to your school, to the toilet. 15 years ago, most people had a family computer and you'd go on it and if there was something you weren't supposed to see, you'd still do it but with the added fear of looking back over your shoulder hoping your parents wouldn't catch you.

Suicide/cutting forums for 12 year olds weren't a thing, and if they were, it was nothing like the hashtags that exist today and only the more techy kids would end up on /b/ or something of that nature. Regardless, kids being exposed to awful things will always happen, and seeing gore or whatever isn't the worst thing that can happen. I think what's worse is the overabundance of information that exists today, most of which is absolute trash that I wouldn't even recommend a 40 year old to consume let alone a 12 year old.

I don't think the writer of the article is being ludicrous by taking away access to certain apps from the poison of the internet. You literally get dumber consuming that stuff. Being called a noob in battlefield is a poor example with what the author is trying to convey

[kreutz]

This is a ridiculous opinion. The amount and vastness of content and the ease at which it is accessible have increased 1000x maybe more. Never in the history of the world never have children been so connected to topics, content, and strangers (that no doubt play a role in their mental development) as they are now.

[celticninja]

There is more content and now it is in 1080p and it is much more easily accessed.