“We have to protect our children from potentially seeing what we do to other people’s children”
Thats always gonna be my take on this. We’re ruled over by people who harm children and those who protect the abusers. They are the people we need to protect the kids from!
“Our children need time in the real world. Time to play, time to build friendships, time to make mistakes. Time to shape their own identity, their own personality, before an algorithm shapes them instead.”
Before an american algorithm shapes them
So you’re gonna build them lots of safe third spaces and free programs right?
the options will be school, work, hitlerjugend or prison, with all of them gradually bleeding into each other
This actually kinda sorta exists in most EU countries, most public schools organize some kind of extracurricular activities for kids and since cities are generally walkable-ish kids can gather in local parks and whatnot easily. It’s far from perfect but it kinda exists.
This is of course thanks to social policies from the mid 20th century which are being eroded slowly across the EU.
All that said this policy proposal is clearly not really about kids but rather about enhancing tracking capabilities in general.
most public schools organize some kind of extracurricular activities
I think the US actually has a lot more of that than EU countries. We had a room with tables, one computer, and a neglected backyard where we would kick a ball around when no one is watching. And that was considered advanced since a lot of school had no daycare at all.
edit: It’s possible of course that the situation varies a lot between EU countries and that things have improved since when I was in school. I’m comparing my lived experience from ~20 years ago with some online descriptions of US middle schools and high schools and that Recess cartoon.
Oh for sure, don’t want the kids exposed to harmful disinfo, like supposed genocides or other dangerous fairytales. Gotta inoculate them for years with national media before that can possibly be allowed to happen
And it’s obviously a problem in how it effects adults too. But ultimately I don’t trust EU politicians any more than American tech companies when it comes to my communication.
If this wasn’t about rolling out a fascistic system of communication control I would almost have sympathy with some of her points
Oh you agree that Meta is harmful? Then you’ll agree to scan your ballprint to perform a yahoo search
Pubes keep getting tangled in the scanner
Hot take but the problem isn’t children being shaped by an algorithm, it’s children being shaped by fascist profit seeking algorithms, which include all liberal and neoliberal algorithms. But you could have an algorithm providing entirely wholesome educational content, Ms Rachelize it.
I wish the algorithms were tools to allow users to find content they like rather than in total control of the users online experience. Like search engines but there is definitely other approaches then search engines where this can work. Something like the TikTok algorithm is really effective for like the first 30 minutes but beyond that you aren’t really finding much new stuff but you also miss out stuff you’d have on followed timeline.
There’s no easy way to start with a blank slate and find new stuff again. And you have to be vigilant about poisoning your recommendations because it’s difficult to get rid of stuff once the algorithm things you are interested.
It just robs so much user agency.
Search engines are yet another algorithm
Absolutely but I’m sort of in control of the search and not just lead along.
Toxic social media is created by capitalism. Bandaids on wounds that need a tourniquet.
My rednote screentime is significantly lower than what instagram used to be 2-3 hours daily
Think cookie-banners are annoying? Wait until you get to prove you’re not 13 every other clickI wonder how much of this is downstream from right wing lunatics replying the most deranged conspiracies into the timeline of politicians.
Most of it is downstream from the ruling classes’ need to crush climate change activism, solidarity with Palestine, antifascism and the struggle against Europe’s hypermilitarization. Most of fascism is not a problem in their eyes, it may be rude in tone but aligns with their goals. The few wild cards that foam at the mouth so much they become a risk are easily dealt with already. They do not need any measures against sovereign citizens wanting to do an adventurism on them, these plots are laughably easy to uncover. Every single case i’ve seen in the EU so far included a mole that was able to infiiltrate the group without problems.
Maybe go after tech companies instead?
Preposterous.
by prosecuting and nationalising corporations right?
