France bans social media for teens under 15, no phones in school

[BogdanR]

all the fascism? would peaceful assembly be one of those views? I can tell you that the Right is not for rioting and non peacefull assembly. types like you like to fit ANYONE on the right as a bootlicker/nazi/fascist. let me guess you think everyone on the right loves jan 6th?

Feeling a tad guilty there, aren’t we?
See I can assume too.
Your remarks don’t make the current prevalent right movements in the world less fascist, especially the current US regime. If in doubt check the definition. Or check what Umberto Eco had to say about it.

 

[JMGuy]

The thing that bothers me with these laws is the fact that social media is not a big tech product, it is an idea. And sensoring ideas becomes quickly impossible. Open platforms like bluesky or mastodon do exist, and there is no corporation to fine behind them. And moderation is also weaker. Any old forum can become ”social media” if the kids decide to flock to it. These governments would have to ban the internet all the way back to ’90.

The only tangible thing we can limit is the screen time.

I’m in favor of this trend myself. I think your point is, perhaps, mixing up two very different things.

What these laws target isn’t “people talking online,” it’s large, for-profit platforms built around algorithmic engagement—something that’s fundamentally different from the forums and message boards of the 90s and early 00s, or even today’s smaller, chronological, community-run spaces. Those didn’t actively optimize outrage or addiction to maximize ad revenue.

Decentralized platforms like Mastodon or Bluesky, I think, actually prove the point: they’re harder to regulate because they lack centralized control and engagement-maximizing algorithms. Popularity alone didn’t turn old forums into behavior-shaping machines—scale plus monetization did.

Screen time limits are tangible, yes, but they’re a blunt tool and I don’t think they address the issue directly—like treating an over-eating disorder by taking away all the food. They eat less through force, not because the underlying issue was addressed. In my view, the underlying issue here isn’t so much the idea of online communication, it’s the industrialized attention-systems built on top of it to maximize engagement and monopolize attention of developing brains. The industry is absolutely guilty of intentionally making that process addicting on purpose. Let’s remove that component and see if things improve.

 

[KnightSayNI]

Good. Now do a total ban. We are like a bunch of monkeys with machine guns.

 

[MasterAce]

I’m in favor of this trend myself. I think your point is, perhaps, mixing up two very different things.

What these laws target isn’t “people talking online,” it’s large, for-profit platforms built around algorithmic engagement—something that’s fundamentally different from the forums and message boards of the 90s and early 00s, or even today’s smaller, chronological, community-run spaces. Those didn’t actively optimize outrage or addiction to maximize ad revenue.

Decentralized platforms like Mastodon or Bluesky, I think, actually prove the point: they’re harder to regulate because they lack centralized control and engagement-maximizing algorithms. Popularity alone didn’t turn old forums into behavior-shaping machines—scale plus monetization did.

Screen time limits are tangible, yes, but they’re a blunt tool and I don’t think they address the issue directly—like treating an over-eating disorder by taking away all the food. They eat less through force, not because the underlying issue was addressed. In my view, the underlying issue here isn’t so much the idea of online communication, it’s the industrialized attention-systems built on top of it to maximize engagement and monopolize attention of developing brains. The industry is absolutely guilty of intentionally making that process addicting on purpose. Let’s remove that component and see if things improve.

Definition of social media would be nice. For example, instagram stopped being social media, in my mind, when it’s feed stopped showing people who I follow. Now it just servers random brainwash junk, is that social media? That’s not what it used to be in the beginning. Algoritm based attention maximizing sounds right, but is that necesarily social media?

 

[OortCloud]

This is fantastic news - the death of Meta and IG throughout Europe won't be long now. Whilst this outwardly looks like legislation to protect kids, this is only part of the story. A large part of this is due to Zuckerberg's support for the current administration. Europeans despise the lunatic who is currently destroying the once wonderful US.

 

[JMGuy]

Definition of social media would be nice. For example, instagram stopped being social media, in my mind, when it’s feed stopped showing people who I follow. Now it just servers random brainwash junk, is that social media? That’s not what it used to be in the beginning. Algoritm based attention maximizing sounds right, but is that necesarily social media?

Social media vs Manipulative media?

Social media organizes content around people; human-to-human engagement. Addictive media organizes content around consumption; algorithmic-to-human engagement.

Perhaps the term “social media” cannot be saved. Maybe we need to distinguish between these better? Like shared-networks vs algorithmic-networks. That anything adding any kind of automated suggestion engine is labeled as such.

Ultimately, to me, it seems like what humans recommend vs what algorithms recommend might be a realistic distinction that could be codified into regulation and subject to specific guardrails.

 

[bandit8623]

Feeling a tad guilty there, aren’t we?
See I can assume too.
Your remarks don’t make the current prevalent right movements in the world less fascist, especially the current US regime. If in doubt check the definition. Or check what Umberto Eco had to say about it.

So no denying. Gotcha

 

[Nobina]

That would be very weird. The sexual age of consent is 15, but social media is a bigger deal?

Yes

 

[EvilRebar]

The thing that bothers me with these laws is the fact that social media is not a big tech product, it is an idea. And sensoring ideas becomes quickly impossible. Open platforms like bluesky or mastodon do exist, and there is no corporation to fine behind them. And moderation is also weaker. Any old forum can become ”social media” if the kids decide to flock to it. These governments would have to ban the internet all the way back to ’90.

The only tangible thing we can limit is the screen time.

But how do you limit the screen time? Screen time is also an idea across many devices.

Social media is more addictive with scale add algorithmic manipulation. Small platforms will still be there, but will likely be less compelling.

 

[BogdanR]

So no denying. Gotcha

Funny YOU should say that !!!

 

[yannus]

They just want to monitor who does what. They are obsessed with digital ID and surveillance.

 

[Megalomaniac]

When parents are too weak to say "no", you always have the government!

 

[Megalomaniac]

Social Media is just as bad for adults as it is for teens. The difference is that it's easier to prosecute adults for their actions and "kids" are nearly impossible to prosecute. Social Media combines two things "children" should have never had access to: smartphones and 24/7 access to each other. I doubt anyone will ever stand trial for the cyberbullying, suicides and homicides directly related to social media and the way it's literally designed to antagonize and incite negative behavior. China was smart to ban American social media. Europe and Australia recognize the threat and they're doing the same.

American kids will continue to be the victims of their corrupt congress and inept parents.

 

[Puiu]

all the fascism? would peaceful assembly be one of those views? I can tell you that the Right is not for rioting and non peacefull assembly. types like you like to fit ANYONE on the right as a bootlicker/nazi/fascist. let me guess you think everyone on the right loves jan 6th?

No, the right in the US for "peaceful" killings, masked secret militia/gestapo who can arrest anyone and enter your home whenever they wish and pedophiles.

"let me guess you think everyone on the right loves jan 6th?" - they seem to do. they think it was the right thing to do. they also think that anyone else who is protesting is an "insurgent" who deserves to be killed in cold blood, executed in the streets.

Let's get the facts straight, the US is right now a fascist country by every metric. This is no longer up for debate, there is nothing you can say that will change this sad fact. What is happening there is depressing at best and criminal at worst with the constitution put on hold. And it's only getting worse with each passing day because of trump and his cultists.

 

[bandit8623]

Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian ultranationalist political ideology characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocratic government, forcible suppression of opposition, and strong regimentation of society and the economy

no debating ?
The president still is not a dictator. the senate and house can stop him at anytime.

autocratic government concentrates all power in a single leader or small group, how does majority likerepublicans make this so?

suppressing opposition? like illegal immigrants? or are you mad the don lemon was arrested?

the last one make people more reliant on government. that seemes like a lefty thing to do.

 

[Puiu]

Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian ultranationalist political ideology characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocratic government, forcible suppression of opposition, and strong regimentation of society and the economy

no debating ?
The president still is not a dictator. the senate and house can stop him at anytime.

autocratic government concentrates all power in a single leader or small group, how does majority likerepublicans make this so?

suppressing opposition? like illegal immigrants? or are you mad the don lemon was arrested?

the last one make people more reliant on government. that seemes like a lefty thing to do.

"The president still is not a dictator." - the cope is real considering the fact that he is actively going against the separation of powers every single day.

1. Defying Court Orders
2. Using emergency powers and bypassing Congress
3. Utilizing the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs, a power historically assigned to Congress
4. Usurping control over independent regulatory agencies and removing agency heads that "defy" him
5. Hiring and firing people based on "loyalty"
6. Refusing to allow funds allocated by congress to be spent
7. Attacking Venezuela without Congress approval
8. When it appeared that a resolution to overturn Trump’s tariffs may have enough Republican votes to pass, the speaker changed the rules of the House to ensure it went nowhere. (they literally forbid the vote against trump)
9. etc
10. etc

I can list hundreds of *****ic things trump has done as a dictator. This is an undeniable fact known by the whole world.

The congress is basically dead, killed by republicans, independent agencies have all been destroyed and trump put his dogs as heads, the sentate is being ignored, the streets have secret police running around killing people, the constitution is being broken daily and the rule of law doesn't exist anymore.

In the end all you did was allow me to prove you completely wrong and show you that you support a fascist pedophile. It's just pathetic to see people support this kind of in your face fascist behavior and even celebrating it.

 

[hahahanoobs]

Shouldn't be using your phone at work either.

 

[bandit8623]

"The president still is not a dictator." - the cope is real considering the fact that he is actively going against the separation of powers every single day.

1. Defying Court Orders
2. Using emergency powers and bypassing Congress
3. Utilizing the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs, a power historically assigned to Congress
4. Usurping control over independent regulatory agencies and removing agency heads that "defy" him
5. Hiring and firing people based on "loyalty"
6. Refusing to allow funds allocated by congress to be spent
7. Attacking Venezuela without Congress approval
8. When it appeared that a resolution to overturn Trump’s tariffs may have enough Republican votes to pass, the speaker changed the rules of the House to ensure it went nowhere. (they literally forbid the vote against trump)
9. etc
10. etc

I can list hundreds of *****ic things trump has done as a dictator. This is an undeniable fact known by the whole world.

The congress is basically dead, killed by republicans, independent agencies have all been destroyed and trump put his dogs as heads, the sentate is being ignored, the streets have secret police running around killing people, the constitution is being broken daily and the rule of law doesn't exist anymore.

In the end all you did was allow me to prove you completely wrong and show you that you support a fascist pedophile. It's just pathetic to see people support this kind of in your face fascist behavior and even celebrating it.

you seem very hung up on tariffs.

 

[Puiu]

you seem very hung up on tariffs.
View attachment 90772

I'm not hung on anything, you are the one who only mentions tariffs after all that I wrote

And what I said is still 100% true. It's like you don't know that it's just one of the many things he's done and you are trying to isolate it and put it out of context.

FYI you conveniently forgot to mention how those tariffs were implemented by the other presidents. How does a non-american like me know more about the IEEPA and the US Congress than you?

Tell me, as an US citizen, how are you not appalled by Trump desecrating the Kennedy Center and closing it after everybody there just quit or was fired? Do you think a sane person would put his name on that presidential memorial? It's a rhetorical question. In case it wasn't obvious, the answer is no, it's just another brain dead thing done by a fascist dictator whose ego is so large that the has to destroy things he can't get.

In the end all you are doing is defending pedophile convicted criminal who is acting like your king.

 

[ZedRM]

This is a great idea. Bravo France! Now let's do this in the rest of the EU and in North America.

 

[acrossthestars]

What I don’t understand is why so many people treat this issue so shallowly. There’s no simple solution.

We've got the rapid devaluing of all fiat currencies everywhere, companies are looking for reasons to not hire people and using AI as an easy scapegoat, more Epstein-related s*x scandals (doesn't even matter who, just point at a random politician or bureaucrat and you're probably on the money), the politics of ICE enforcement, microplastics in our waters, imminent population collapse, refugee crisis because of conflicting cultures, "Palestine vs Israel" (I'm not saying, I'm just saying), memory shortages because of said AI, education is in the toilet, everyone's broke *gasp*... did I miss anything?

So yeah, while it's true that "there's no simple solutions", that might be all we can manage right now.

 

[trents]

Wow! Just when I was thinking common sense was dead. For a change, this is one European idea the USA should adopt.