I’m asking for public policy ideas here. A lot of countries are enacting age verification now. But of course this is a privacy nightmare and is ripe for abuse. At the same time though, I also understand why people are concerned with how kids are using social media. These products are designed to be addictive and are known to cause body image issues and so forth. So what’s the middle ground? How can we protect kids from the harms of social media in a way that respects everyone’s privacy?
Same as always, better parenting.
My three boys don’t have filters on the internet, instead of blocking them from the world, I raised them in it.
Would you feel differently if you had a daughter who developed body image issues from instagram?
Boys can also develop negative images of themselves, they are actively preyed upon as well. There are different sets of challenges for the genders, but they are there for both.
I don’t have girls so it’s hard to say. But I do work to make sure they understand that people that come for them, are only saying something about themselves. We work hard to make sure they know the difference between online abusive drama and reality and help them choose spaces that are positive.