> Algorithmic sorting + public or semi-public content.
That includes HN, among other things.
Putting age limits on sites requires age verification for everyone. And no, there isn’t a clever crypto mechanism that makes anonymous age verification work without also making it easy for people to borrow age verification credentials from someone older.
Australia basically just came up with a list of social media sites it applies to. It's perhaps not entirely fair or objectively true. But it lets them age restrict Facebook/Tiktok/etc without restricting IMs or small sites like HN.
From my experience as a teacher, I believe that ticktock and instagram are the worst offenders, particularly for young women. The hyper-visuality and ease of consumption of these media sets them apart from platforms which can accommodate actual discussion (such as discord). The very fact that ‘influencer’ is now a profession supports my position.
That being said, I am not of the ‘for gods sake won’t someone think of the children’ brigade. Their goal seems to be to use the vulnerability of young people to control the internet.
Also, the emphasis on final result, without accurately portraying the work that went into it.
It's probably not healthy for younger people to be able to swipe through the finished products of 40+ hours of work, which the videos make seem like just happened.
Algorithmic sorting + public or semi-public content. Chat rooms have different problems.