[ElProlactin]

Do you not see that the largest companies on the internet are also surveilling everyone and that the massive troves of data they're collecting about their registered users and even non-registered users is directly and indirectly accessible to governments around the world?

[someguyiguess]

Doesn’t that prove their point?

[ElProlactin]

How so? If you're anti-surveillance, wouldn't you be pleased that under-16s won't be able to use the most wide-ranging and insidious surveillance platforms ever created?

[theultdev]

Until they turn 17, then they get to be id-verified surveilled like the rest of us!

Much safe system. Very cozy. Glad kids are safe now. That was close!

[ElProlactin]

So what's your solution?

There's substantial evidence for harms on young people that go beyond surveillance, but I guess we now live in a society that embraces throw them to the wolves and see which ones survive?

[theultdev]

The only proper solution always used for children. Parent's discretion.

Other people's kids are not my nor the governments business.

I will restrict social media as I see fit for my children. Don't need a nanny state.

No need for "think of the children". You shouldn't be thinking of my children, they are fine. Worry about yourself and your own kids.

[ElProlactin]

> The only proper solution always used for children. Parent's discretion.

Cigarettes. Alcohol. Gambling. Weapons. Credit cards and financial products. Solvents/aerosols. Fireworks.

There are tons of products and services that are subject to regulation for children because society has concluded (wisely in most cases) that it is not always possible or effective to rely on parental discretion to prevent harm.

> You shouldn't be thinking of my children, they are fine.

Extreme individualism is in my opinion one of Western society's biggest sore spots right now but I'd like to point out one very practical issue with this approach as it relates to social media.

I can keep my kids off of social media, but social media can still harm them. Your kids can take photos and videos of my kids and post them online without anyone's consent, and use social media to bully my kids.

There is a growing body of evidence about the harms of social media on children's' mental health, particularly as it relates to bullying, and plenty of cases of suicides caused by it.

But I suppose there are other possible solutions. We could enact laws that levy more significant civil and perhaps even criminal penalties on parents whose children use social media to harass and bully. Right now, when parents are found liable for damage caused by their children, civil penalties are usually pretty modest.

If your children, who you say are fine, do something to make my children not fine, you should be willing to take full responsibility for that, right?