Lately I’ve been asked how I feel about Australia’s new social media law, restricting access to those under 16. I was even asked to participate in a debate where I was expected to be the “spoiler” – assuming I would take a “pro-social media” viewpoint. (The ‘debate’ actually turned into a really interesting conversation.)
I have a complicated relationship with these platforms. I quit Facebook in 2018, and yet other platforms have connected me with some really interesting, inspiring people (including my publisher!) and has provided me a fun way to “pebble” with my sons who have “flown the coop”.
But boy, am I happy this stuff didn’t exist when I was younger. Besides all the research (from Johns Hopkins, Yale, Cleveland Clinic – just to name a few) I know that these platforms – and the 24/7 desire to keep up – would have made me a wreck.
Sadly, I think I am a cynic when it comes to regulation and legislation about these platforms.
My Fears
- There’s no reliable age verification system for these platforms, and it’s not in their best interest to generate one. Kids can easily lie about their age.
- Kids can also use VPNs to appear to be somewhere else
- One can have multiple accounts on platforms, so parental notification systems aren’t necessarily reliable
- Other (perhaps creepy) options might emerge for kids to connect
- Regulations can’t be retroactive – these apps are already on the devices
- The definition of a “social media platform” even includes sites like YouTube, which yes has loads of trash, but can also teach me how to change a tire. And yet Discord is not listed in the ban.
- Kids are savvy – certainly savvier than most lawmakers.
- This student has a perspective that I hadn’t considered
- Many people on the fringes of society rely on these platforms to connect with others and find community in a way they may not have been able to before
- The ban doesn’t include AI chatbots, which I predict will be the next big mental health issue for teens because of “AI Psychosis”.
- I worry that these laws create an overreliance on government intervention rather than critical thinking and digital literacy skills
This also makes me wonder about the professional development course I teach – in Week 3 the assignment is to build a robust LinkedIn profile. Is that social media as well?
So, I suggest that we train students in digital literacy skills instead.
What digital literacy skills do:
- That method teaches and encourages critical thinking rather than obedience
- These skills transfer to other media – television, “news”, AI use, podcasts, advertising etc
- Research shows those that are media literate are less likely to share false information
- These skills empower (this word is cliche but in this case 100% accurate) rather than infantilize
- Even the Wall Street Journal says that being an adult means being online, and it’s in a kid’s best interest to know how to do it well. “Modern life is digital.”
- Digital literacy helps kids understand dopamine hits, the financial structure of the apps, why algorithms exist & how they work…basically let’s them “see behind the curtain” and therefore they are less likely to be controlled
- This method erases the temptation of “forbidden fruit”
- And it works for every age!
The brilliant Laura Derrendinger acknowledged much of my skepticism in our conversation and understands that regulations are only “one tool in the toolbox”. I hope – that if research doesn’t demonstrate the effectiveness of this ban – digital literacy education will be the first tool considered in its place.