Keeping Kids Safe: Daniel Günther Wants to Ban Social Media for Under 16s
Underage individuals (16 and younger) should be prohibited from using social media, according to Daniel Günther's viewpoint.
Hear, hear! Daniel Günther, our Schleswig-Holstein's Minister President, is pushing to ban social media for youngsters under 16, arguing that we've neglected our responsibilities to protect 'em. The guy ain't pulling any punches when he declares, "We've messed up our protective role in recent years."
But it's not just about TikTok, no sirree! Günther's remarks came during discussions about a relevant motion set by his CDU state association, happening mid-June. The motion is all about tightening the leash on those social media platforms. With all the negative impacts on young uns and society at large, it's high time we take decisive action, he reckons.
Got your attention? Here's the lowdown: Social media, with no proper regulation, can serve up content that normalizes violence, peddles sexual violence, and spreads falsehoods. Kids are bombarded with it all, and parents are left in the dark. That's according to Günther, and CDU Education and Family Minister Karin Prien echoes the sentiment.
Prien says, "We gotta protect our children and young'uns from violent, pornographic, and extremist content that's preying on them on the internet with no safeguards in place." Anyone who says this can be done without regulation, well, they're misleading folks. "We don't let our kids into brothels or liquor stores, for crying out loud!" Prien emphasis. It ain't about clamping down on freedom of expression in social media, she insists. It's about keeping the kids safe.
Let's take a breather and consider this picture across Europe. Countries like Denmark, Slovenia, Cyprus, Spain, France, and Greece are mulling restrictions on social media for minors. France has already set a ban for kids under 15 without parental consent, and Spain aims to ban for under-16s.
The European Union is even contemplating setting a common minimum age for social media access across member states as part of their broader efforts to bolster digital safety and line up with the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Now, no one's suggesting Günther is just following the European trend. But with more nations cracking down, it wouldn't be a stretch to think similar debates might pop up in good ol' Germany. Keep an eye out!
Sources: ntv.de, as/dpa; Enrichment Data from various online sources.
- Daniel Günther
- Karin Prien
- Social Media
- TikTok
- Children
- Violence
- Extremism
- CDU
- Schleswig-Holstein
- Youth Protection
- Digital Safety
- European Union
- Digital Services Act
- Ban
- Parental Consent
- Protection from Harmful Content
- Prevention of Addiction
- Freedom of Expression
- Technical Challenges
- Potential for Circumvention
- Cyberbullying
- Hate Speech
In light of the push for banning social media for minors under 16 by Daniel Günther, the Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein, discussions in policy-and-legislation are happening regarding tighter regulation of these platforms due to their potential to spread harmful content such as violence, extremism, and falsehoods. Meanwhile, the European Union is contemplating setting a common minimum age for social media access across member states as part of their broader efforts to enhance digital safety, aligning with the Digital Services Act (DSA).
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