[JV00]

Perhaps these legislators are addicted to porn and don't want their children to do to themselves the same they have done. Would explain their obsession and relentlessness to get this done.

It's just a pity they are destroying the internet while doing that. They should be attacking the companies making money from porn instead.

And by the way porn can damage your mind even after 18 so age verification is not a real solution anyway.

[danaris]

Porn addiction has been shown not to be a real thing.

People who believe they are addicted to porn view porn at approximately the same rate as other people: they just feel more guilty about it, due to being raised to believe that it is shameful.

One source on the topic: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-apes/202207/...

[olsondv]

The article gave one anecdotal example of a person who misdiagnosed themself and then tried to make a broader point by disregarding the definition of addiction. Addiction is not just how many times a compulsive behavior is done. It’s the inability to regulate oneself for the behavior often at the expense of relationships or other responsibilities. If you’re looking at porn when you should be working, that could be addiction, for example. Apply that to relationships too. If you’re looking at porn and masturbating instead of being with your spouse, that’s addiction too.

[bigstrat2003]

That's absolutely ridiculous. Porn addiction is 100% a real thing. You can't hand wave it away by saying "porn is actually ok, the problem is just that they believe it is bad so they feel shame".

[danaris]

And if it were just me handwaving it away with that as a random hypothetical, that would be a reasonable response.

It's not.

It's supported by, AIUI, multiple peer-reviewed studies now.

Just because you don't like the idea doesn't make the science any less valid.

[rsynnott]

Which legislators? No legislators are involved anywhere here. This is an advisory body quoting a foreign advisory body.

[JV00]

From the article:

""" At the same time, regulators are beginning to address VPN use directly in legislation. Utah recently became the first US state to enact a law explicitly targeting VPN use in online age verification. The state’s SB 73 defines a user’s location based on physical presence rather than apparent IP address, even if VPNs or proxy services are used to mask it.

The EPRS suggests VPN providers may face increasing scrutiny as the EU revises cybersecurity and online safety legislation, noting that future updates to the EU Cybersecurity Act could introduce child-safety requirements aimed at preventing VPN misuse to bypass legal protections. """

[skeptic_ai]

Porn or social media or fake news destroy kids brain more? I can’t even tell

[balamatom]

Parents destroy kids' brains the most.

[lifestyleguru]

I agree that age verification is old perverts addicted to porn simply projecting their problem onto others. Kids after a day of continuous swiping of tiktok and instagram want tattoos and bitcoin.

[xg15]

Which is why the age restriction would apply to "normal" social media as well?

[lifestyleguru]

Even better! Now teenager can legally buy bitcoin straight in the tattoo parlor one week after their 18th birthday.