Real-Time BNB Signal Analytics
Real-Time BNB Signal Analytics
Denmark's Social Media Ban for Under-15s: A Well-Meaning Disaster Waiting to Happen
Alright, Denmark wants to ban social media for anyone under 15? Sounds like a great idea... in theory. Caroline Stage, Denmark's minister for digital affairs, says 94% of Danish kids under 13 are already on social media. So, what's stopping them now?
They're touting this national electronic ID system and age-verification app. Seriously? You think some tech company is going to roll over and play nice just because Denmark says so? The article quotes Stage saying, "We’ve given the tech giants so many chances to stand up and to do something about what is happening on their platforms. They haven’t done it." No kidding! These companies are built on exploiting attention, especially from young, impressionable minds. Why would they suddenly start prioritizing safety over profit?
And get this: they’re threatening fines of up to 6% of their global income if they don’t comply. Six percent? That's a rounding error for these guys. They make that much while they're asleep. Plus, how are they going to enforce this, anyway? Kids are tech-savvy. They'll find a workaround. VPNs, fake accounts, older siblings... the possibilities are endless. This isn't about protecting kids; it's about politicians looking like they're protecting kids. Big difference.
Banning social media isn't going to magically solve the problems it supposedly causes. "The amount of time they spend online — the amount of violence, self-harm that they are exposed to online — is simply too great a risk for our children,” Stage says. Okay, but what about the real-world violence and self-harm? Are we banning reality, too? Social media is a symptom, not the disease.
And what about the kids who do use it responsibly? Are they going to be punished because some politicians are having a moral panic? Social media can be a valuable tool for connection, learning, and self-expression. Taking that away from young people could have serious consequences for their mental health and social development.
Let's be real, this feels like some weird, dystopian control fantasy. They're talking about shielding kids from "harmful content," but who gets to decide what's harmful? The government? Some algorithm? Give me a break. This is a slippery slope, and I don't like where it's heading.
Offcourse, maybe I'm just being paranoid. Maybe this will actually work, and Denmark will become some kind of digital utopia where kids are happy and well-adjusted. But I doubt it. I really, really doubt it.
Oh, and because my editor insists I need to "inject my soul" or whatever, let's talk about something completely unrelated: Tottenham Hotspur. They beat Copenhagen 4-0 in the Champions League. Apparently, this Micky van de Ven guy scored a "wondergoal" that's being compared to Son Heung-Min's Puskas winner. And some other dude named Brennan Johnson got a red card. Who cares?
No, seriously, who cares? I'm supposed to be writing about tech and culture, not sports. But hey, at least Spurs fans have something to distract them from the impending social media apocalypse in Denmark, right? Maybe they should just move all their kids to London. Problem solved.