100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

Jane Stephens: dial up more control over when kids are exposed to social media

Do you have a news tip? Click here to send to our news team.

MP slams extremism after election signs vandalised

A Sunshine Coast MP has contacted police after his political signs were defaced with banned Nazi symbols. Federal Member for Fisher Andrew Wallace said the More

Pool plan: aquatic centre to get new look

A raft of improvements are set to be made to a 25-year-old swimming facility, with works to start within two years. A draft upgrade plan More

Record $292k raised at rescue service gala

A night of dining, dancing and auctions for more than 500 guests has raised a record $292,095 for a charity that comes to the More

Man accused of filming people through windows

Detectives are investigating after a man allegedly filmed people in their homes without their knowledge. The man was initially arrested on February 3 after allegedly More

‘Insane’: surfers make most of perfect waves at lake runout

Beachgoers were awestruck and surfers were ecstatic when an unusual event occurred on the Sunshine Coast during the weekend. A crowd gathered to watch and More

Champions crowned at scaled-back Mooloolaba Triathlon

Kieran Storch and Charlotte McShane are savouring victories at the Mooloolaba Triathlon, which was shortened due to poor water quality. The former won the men's More

At 18, you get to vote and drink alcohol.

At 17, you get to drive a car on your own.

And if a growing movement gets its way, at age 14, you might get to have a phone.

That is not a typo. Fourteen. Year 8 – many years later than most kids today, with many digitally booting up well before the end of Primary school.

Noises are getting louder that those parents who have buckled under the pressure and hooked their kids up have possibly consigned them to other things too: addiction, poor self-esteem, physical ill-health and lousy sleep habits.

Former Facebook (Meta) senior manager Frances Haugen, who turned whistleblower and leaked thousands of documents exposing the inner workings of her employer, says mental and physical illness are collateral damage for platforms whose weapons are algorithms and notifications and whose eyes are fixed solely on the almighty dollar.

They knew what they were doing caused harm and did it anyway, she says.

Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb.

While in Australia for a security conference, Haugen warned that we are lagging behind other countries in combating social media harms.

In the US, a growing number of schools make ‘wait for 8’ pledges that means kids cannot have phones until Year 8.

Many children have access to social media. Picture: Shutterstock.

Last week, the Florida Governor signed in laws banning children under 14 from having social media accounts, even if their parents consented.

The nation’s state premiers are all for the federal government wresting back control, uniting to sing from the same song sheet last week.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles says social media companies have no regard and no responsibility for the material posted or the consequences of it.

And when that means criminals have a place to boast about their exploits and children are being sickened by the high-volume, low-nutrient drivel that flows on their feed, something must be done, he says.

But what?

Put a speedbump in the information superhighway? Issue fines to social media platforms for allowing treachery and naughtiness? Retrofit laws to thwart the algorithms?

It has all been tried before and found wanting.

Too bad the horse bolted a generation ago.

But we must explore ways to claw back some control, for the sake of the children.

Dr Jane Stephens is a UniSC journalism lecturer, media commentator and writer.

 

Subscribe to SCN’s free daily news email

Hidden
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
[scn_go_back_button] Return Home
Share