TBH I think there is not one reason that explains everything.
A lot of it is normal 5-eyes shit. A LOT of it, really. Power for powers sake.
But some is also well meant, from clueless politicians. They think… kids are being harmed online. Something must be done! This is something! Therefore this must be done!
They do not understand how tech works. They do not understand the negative impacts.
Some is also terror. Maybe it is little less toxic in Canada (maybe? I hope??) but here in the US many pols are afraid of attack ads. If they don’t vote for the most strict measures to shelter kids, it’ll be all “My opponent voted to give axe murders access to your child on the internet!” Pure emotional appeal and reductionism.
I’m the first to admit that we have bad social problems with kids and tech. I’m the first to admit there are real harms. But these measures are NOT gonna make them better. Worse, maybe. Not better. Also opens the door to authoritarian abuse. Again, I feel Canada is doing better than we are down here. But don’t count your chickens! It’s a never ending fight. We can never rest on our laurels.
I refuse to accept that they don’t know the negative effects of what they’re doing. That’s exactly why they’re doing it. Those are the intended effects
Well, I agree that is true a LOT of the time. I’m just skeptical of reductive explanations for complex issues. There are too many pols, in too many countries, over too many decades, in too many wildly diff pol parties, and even a lot of NON-pols like parent groups, for a single explanation to feel likely.
So I agree with you… to a point. I just don’t wanna be too black and white. We can fight it better if we try to understand what drives different groups toward the same goal.
TBH I think there is not one reason that explains everything.
A lot of it is normal 5-eyes shit. A LOT of it, really. Power for powers sake.
But some is also well meant, from clueless politicians. They think… kids are being harmed online. Something must be done! This is something! Therefore this must be done!
They do not understand how tech works. They do not understand the negative impacts.
Some is also terror. Maybe it is little less toxic in Canada (maybe? I hope??) but here in the US many pols are afraid of attack ads. If they don’t vote for the most strict measures to shelter kids, it’ll be all “My opponent voted to give axe murders access to your child on the internet!” Pure emotional appeal and reductionism.
I’m the first to admit that we have bad social problems with kids and tech. I’m the first to admit there are real harms. But these measures are NOT gonna make them better. Worse, maybe. Not better. Also opens the door to authoritarian abuse. Again, I feel Canada is doing better than we are down here. But don’t count your chickens! It’s a never ending fight. We can never rest on our laurels.
I refuse to accept that they don’t know the negative effects of what they’re doing. That’s exactly why they’re doing it. Those are the intended effects
Well, I agree that is true a LOT of the time. I’m just skeptical of reductive explanations for complex issues. There are too many pols, in too many countries, over too many decades, in too many wildly diff pol parties, and even a lot of NON-pols like parent groups, for a single explanation to feel likely.
So I agree with you… to a point. I just don’t wanna be too black and white. We can fight it better if we try to understand what drives different groups toward the same goal.