this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2026
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[–] IAmYouButYouDontKnowYet@reddthat.com 35 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (2 children)

If people cared about "the children" they wouldn't let them on the Internet until they were 21.

If people cared about humanity they wouldn't allow "the algorithms" to exist or let social media or news media exist they way it does now.

[–] oxysis@lemmy.blahaj.zone 28 points 3 hours ago (3 children)

I don’t think that’s the solution though, kids (including teens to some extent) can be on the internet but it requires better parenting. It’s better to monitor what they are doing online until they are like 15 or 16, maybe 17 if you have a really good reason too. Limit screen time, be around to answer questions your kid has about what they might see.

Little kids though? Absolutely should be off the internet. Anyone under 10 shouldn’t be on the internet period in my opinion. 10-12 is kinda a gray zone to me where it’s definitely up to the parents and if they think their child is ready.

[–] tburkhol@lemmy.world 6 points 1 hour ago

My nephew has a new baby. Her parents are constantly waving their phones in her face; sending pics back and forth; generally doing 'millenial things' with their phones when not actively attending the baby. Then proceed to get all freaked out when the baby expresses interest or curiosity in the phone.

Kids mimic their parents behavior and interests. If you want kids with healthy internet use, you have to have parents model healthy internet use.

[–] oxysis@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Also since they weren’t allowed on the internet till they were 21, those 21 year olds won’t know how to act on the internet. So now there’s 21 year olds roaming around who will need to figure all that shit out. They might get other aspects of being an adult but the internet will be completely alien.

It’s like when I saw people saying kids shouldn’t be allowed into the grocery store because someone was annoyed that kids didn’t know how to behave there yet. You just create a new and larger problem where adults don’t know how to act.

[–] partofthevoice@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

The internet has been out for less time than some people have been alive. Are we sure we, as a species, know how to be an adult on the internet yet?

[–] tomiant@piefed.social 2 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Free speech has been out for as long as humanity has existed, and every attempt at limiting it has ended badly.

[–] partofthevoice@lemmy.zip 2 points 47 minutes ago

Not really. Free speech is a cultural construct. It doesn’t exist without a huge swath of pre-agreed norms regarding rights, speech, freedom, … I’ll have you know, there are modern philosophers who argue against human rights. They would say human rights language pretends to be objective and universal, but it floats without a metaphysical anchor (unlike in the past) and in practice they only exist if a sovereign power recognizes them.

[–] Akh@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

It is far more complicated. The brain develops slowly while social media provides constant dopamine hits leading to doom scrolling and the part of the brain that is tasked with hitting the brakes is just not there

[–] oxysis@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 hours ago

Yes social media is a problem, however that alone does not justify banning everyone under 21 from using the entire internet. As the person who I replied to said they wanted.

Social media is its own problem that’s needs regulations to come under control.

[–] lechekaflan@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

If people cared about “the children” they wouldn’t let them on the Internet until they were 21.

I faintly recall there were then a few people who criticized Gore's idea of opening up the Internet to the public.