Ah yes, the great digital babysitting debate: Can we, or should we, age-gate social media to keep the under-16s from being inundated by the madness of the internet? According to Australian officials, it’s ‘technically feasible’—like saying ‘it’s possible’ to train a cat to fetch (spoiler alert: not likely).
A hastily conducted Age Assurance Technology Trial found that while there’s no *one-size-fits-all* solution to keep kids out of TikTok, there are existing methods that could do the trick—think facial scans and parental controls. Is it just me, or does this sound a bit like putting a lock on the door while leaving a window wide open?
As Australia edges closer to a social media ban for those under 16, you might wonder if they just thought about asking other countries how they were faring in their attempts to put these digital barriers in place. So many folks are pondering similar restrictions, yet it’s like watching a bunch of kids trying to build a fort with no real plan.
The future of social media is looking more like a digital age-gate, but will it be foolproof? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure—the internet is not about to stop being wildly entertaining, age restrictions or not!
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