this post was submitted on 15 Dec 2023
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Just because these people can't vote yet doesn't mean they shouldn't have rights or be treated with dignity and respect like the rest of society.
I'm disappointed with people arguing that literally banning smartphones would somehow improve the social situation for anyone.
Just because you cannot see bullying or collect statistics about it quite as easily, does not mean it disappears. I'd argue the opposite: blocking others online is trivial compared to doing the same in-person.
We also have to acknowledge that some children simply are more introverted, and will want to stay more secluded than others. Forcing them to behave in other ways seems counterproductive.
Just because some parents (understandably) struggle with raising their kids shouldn't mean that they're all doomed to what amounts to nationwide collective punishment.
I for one support children's rights, at least on this one point.
Edit:
Exact circumstances can, and will very, as every child is unique. Therefore, we should allow for case by case decisions. Luckily, the de facto situation already has the parents deciding, which makes sense in most cases IMO.
And taking away the phones of other people won't stop online bullying either (e.g. spreading rumors without the victim's knowledge).
you can still be bullied online, if you arent online yourself. People can still spread rumors or damage your image with real world repercussions in the hellhole that is teenage social circles.
And this is little that parents of affected children can do about, and it is certainly no parental shortcoming that their child has become the victim of bullying. It can hit anyone and any family.
So while i also dontthink this is the best measure, the motivation is valid.
I think it's a problem they don't get vote in the first place. If 90-year-olds can, so can 15-year olds. My money is on the average 14-year-old to make better decisions (40% of 90-year-olds have dementia, so that's a safe bet).
I'd say the age of criminal responsibility - between 12 and 15 in most of Europe - seems like a reasonable cut-off. If you're too immature to vote on a law, you're too young to go to prison for breaking it. We could however leave passive suffrage to the actual age of maturity (and full criminal responsibility).
I am especially interested in your stance on technology and introversion. In which way do introverted children benefit from technology, and technology exclusively? And how would the inability to access technology force them to behave differently?
The problem is mostly not the people, but the social media services, that take advantage of them for as much profits as inhumanly possible, and in the process affect their personality in a wrong way.
Sometimes I too feel that they shouldn't have a smartphone, but in reality it's a problem with these corps and their motives, who affect everyone else too but has deeper effects for young people.
But the solution also involves parents raising their kids, instead of youtube, facebook, tiktok and whatever else. To some extent it also means having some oversight on what their kids see online.