Social media addiction

I do think that big tech needs to stop targeting children and so getting them hooked, also there needs to be stricter controls of dangerous sites that encourage children to self harm or commit suicide or be violent towards others.
We can look at why parents are so irresponsible but for every case where this is true there will be parents who tried their best but their children managed to get round parental controls etc.
At 6 years old I agree the parents should be held to account as well but this is a huge deal for parents of older children who cannot police their every living moment.

Television couldn’t harm them.

I don’t know all the ins and outs of the court case in California but I don’t think we can sue all and sundry for our own addictions.
Parents and caregivers have a duty to children to limit all online time and what they’re watching.There’s a lot of potential for harm out there, yes I’m talking to you Roblox! Among others.

It's nothing new though is it. Our boys were born in the early 80's and I remember concern being expressed about young children sitting in front of the television for too long, rather than playing inside or out.

Galaxy

It is a societal issue rather than just blaming big tech, ( as we all sit on tech sharing our views) we will look back at the access we gave to children with the same discomfort as the last generation looks back at smoking in a car full of children, not using seat belts, etc.

Yes definitely.

It is a societal issue rather than just blaming big tech, ( as we all sit on tech sharing our views) we will look back at the access we gave to children with the same discomfort as the last generation looks back at smoking in a car full of children, not using seat belts, etc.

Life does change but not always for the better so we have to be aware of the downsides Nana8 I don’t think anyone thinks children should nt use iPads etc but that they should be monitored as to a) the amount of time and b) the content
Isn’t that what’s all this amount to ?
They need to play out in the fresh air, run, jump, observe nature and peoples interactions with one another to learn, they cannot gain all that from Peppa Pig on an iPad so what are they missing ?
There were no iPads around for my own children so they were outside playing learning how to navigate life or they had friends in playing pretend games
My grandkids seemed to have had a fairly rounded playing out, playing in with friends, plus allowed iPhones when they got to 11/12 (monitored as far as I know)
I have no great grandkids as yet but I do really hope when I have any that they are not tucked up in a corner with pads, being quiet I hope they are out exploring and learning about life and living the real way, being noisy, and observing and full of life with it’s ups and downs

I agree with BlessedArt - yes, at the end of the day, the ultimate responsibility does lie with parents, but social media apps are deliberately designed to be addictive, and it's only right that these companies are subjected to scrutiny and held to account.
BlueBelle is also right - the fact that things like alcohol, tobacco, fast food, vaping and so on are also addictive and harmful is another issue and while that also needs tackling, it shouldn't take away from the focus on social media.

Two of my great grandchildren spend a lot of time on their iPads - one is 3 and the other 5. They are both pretty brainy and the 3 year old can read , presumably learnt through doing things online. Personally I don’t like it but then I am old and life is different now. Life changes .

When has it become a valid point to say one thing is as bad as another it doesn’t make either right surely.
Two totally different issues, both wrong but neither accountable for the other. astitchintime

It's not the children's fault that some parents do not have the skills or inclination to be vigilant.
Glad that steps are being taken to protect them from powerful, greedy companies.

Are the tech companies really any different from the food and drink manufacturers? Surely, fast food outlets and breweries cannot be held responsible for anyone who overindulges, becomes obese, alcoholic, and develops all manner of health problems?

My story is this I volunteer in a charity shop, we have a large children’s section the difference in parenting is huge, some come in send they little ones round to play with every toy they can reach while mum is shopping, and then off they go leaving everything all over the place Then you get a lot of excellent parenting where the mum or dad is chatting to the child, explaining toys, trying them out, and making the child put them back carefully.
The third group has the child in the pram or pushchair totally engrossed in their iPad or device, looking at nothing, seeing nothing, experiencing nothing Then they go out the shop, into the street observing nothing, around them, interacting with nothing.
So so sad to see

Many years ago, tobacco companies got in trouble for luring children towards addiction too.

Apart from the obvious wrongs of the situation that brought this case to court, I think that the huge amount of compensation awarded is going to bring the young woman problems of its own 😕

Agree. Anyone allowing their 6 year old (to 16 year old) unrestricted access is failing them. Parental control programmes are readily available. It’s really not that hard.

Two things can be true at once.

Parents need to take responsibility for monitoring their children and what they are exposed to.

Social media companies are greedy, reckless, and need to be reigned in from pushing predatory addictions on children.

They need to be reigned in on the frequent child exploitation occurring on their platforms as well as the targeting practices. Mark Zuckerberg and others do not allow their own children on social media. Whistleblowers have been speaking out for years about Meta’s practices and the dangers. The fine is a drop in the bucket of their hundreds of billions, but at least they are on notice that more may be to come if they don’t start leaning toward more ethical operations.

While I agree with you to a degree SueDonim, if in this case she was only 6 when she became addicted I do think it's reasonable to ask why her parents did nothing about it.

I totally agree GG that the Tech Giants need to be held account for content but I'm not convinced they alone should be made accountable for children's addiction to social media.

We might say the same about alcohol, tobacco and so on - that it’s the parents’ duty to prevent their child from accessing such products. The reality is, it’s not possible to monitor a child 24/7, internet addiction also affects adults and these products are created to lure people in. I think it’s a good thing that tech companies are being called to order.

Our GC who have iPhones had parental control settings until they reached 16.

The 11yr old has his iPhone monitored by DD, not allowed to take it with him at bedtime.

I agree parents need to take responsibility for their children.

I also think these Tech Giants should be held to account for the content on their platforms.

My youngest 4 GC who are under 17 all have parental control and trackers on their phones, put there by their parents.
Responsibility starts at home and it seems to be a worrying trend these days that some parents send their children to school in nappies and unable to use cutlery as if it is part of the teacher's job to deal with these things, It is not.
I would prefer to see the tech giants blocking unsuitable content.

I gather that Kaley, the girl the case is about, became addicted at 6 years old (to social media).

Surely the parents should have been able to do something to stop her being on it so much? It escalated to numerous hours a day as she got older.

I’ve no idea of the circumstances, but it all seems very strange to me.

A huge pay out, of course.