Are social networks unhealthy for minors?

#EvanPoll #poll

@evan Social networks are not unhealthy, but the most common type of social networks, the ones designed to harvest attention, are unhealthy. I would, reluctantly, allow my child to use Mastodon when she is old enough for it. But I don't like her to have any interaction with Instagram, TikTok and similar.

@evan

the problem is "social media" algos. they intentionally fuck with us for profit. bad for everyone but kids are less prepared for manipulation and their brains are still changing. beyond the personal, taken together, they also have a societal impact.

I think staying connected to people they know IRL via "social networking" tools is great for minors. and I think a purely reverse chronological feed without ads is a better way to get news for everyone.

I hope we can make the distinction.

@evan
For me, it’s a “No, but…”. I grew up using BBS (only for a short time) and then Usenet. There have always been toxic elements there, and certainly not everything was age-appropriate. So it’s also a reflection of society. And today, especially on commercial networks, that reflection of society is the attention economy and the greed for data.

Everyone has a responsibility to ensure that these networks are safe for all users. Children should not simply be shielded from them, but rather taught how to use these media. They will find a way to participate anyway.

@evan I struggled between yes, but and no, but.

Inherently, being part of a social group can be important esp. when you're the type who doesn't mix normally (me in my youth.. 0 friends but my ZX Spectrum.. would have killed for something like Mastodon back then).

But the way they're run by corporations with no thought for the damage their algorithms can do.. just more eyeballs means more profit.. makes them a toxic place. We need to fix that.

Folks, I know this is a heated issue, but please be respectful of other people in the comments. You can disagree without attacking people personally.

I have a hard line about telling people they are unfit to be parents. That's not an acceptable thing to say to another human being.

I've had to block a couple of people already. It's really disappointing.

@evan I know. I pride myself on Freedom of speech.

Dialogue is the only way we can all get along, whether we agree with each other or not. Sadly, some people don't deserve that level of respect.

I've put up with a lot of shit flung at me over the years. I'm happy to be insulted to a certain degree, be denigrated, have my words twisted, and often be lied about, but there comes a time when enough is enough, and I have to hit the Mute button.

They have to be extremely bad for me to block them.

@dick_turpin not me! I am a one-strike blocker. If I find myself typing something angry at someone, I stop myself and block instead. (Usually.)

@evan Ah, the old Knee-jerk reaction, aye?

Christ, how have we managed to stay friends for eighteen years? 🤣 🤣 🤣

@dick_turpin I kind of feel like it's better than saying something I'll regret later.

I also regularly go through my blocklist and if I can't remember why I blocked someone, I unblock them. So it's more like a cooling-off period.

@evan Given mine is populated with folk who can't control themselves even after, in some cases, being told they're crossing the line, I can't see myself un-muting anyone any time soon, which is a shame as there are at least two people on there I was originally friends with, but they decided to turn on me for some reason. 🤷🏻‍♂️

@evan fedi has a particularly viscious streak in general rn imo, im actually struggling to reccomend it to anyone

@kim I get it; it's a tough time in the world and people see it as a way to blow off steam. Blocking is good, modeling good behaviour is good. We can get there.

@evan Yes, but mostly because creating safe digital spaces for minors is difficult. You need crack moderation teams and robust digital safety plans, as well as actually having their best interests at heart. Very difficult goal to align with those of for-profit companies, extremely difficult to implement by independent groups due to lack of funding. Not to mention the tension that anonymity protects but many protective measures require at least the identification that a user is a minor.

(1/2) @evan I've always opposed sanitizing the world for kids.
They *will* get online & find stuff. I did (just w/BBS's!).

I *am* sure so-called “social media” *is* toxic for kids. Heck:it's toxic for most adults.
But age verification laws'll put 16 yr olds into business of making fake ids for 10 yr olds.
My mother read Tipper Gore's book & Destroyed all my #punk tapes.
Lars brought me his to school to listen to free.
& the censorship made me an activist for life. So, maybe upsides?🤷
#EvanPoll

@evan Wow, there are people who reply no to this! Fascinating... I'll chalk that up to people conflating "social network" with "social media" I guess...

@resl what's the difference?

@evan @n1k0 for that matter, they’re also unhealthy for adults… said he, while posting on the very thing he described as unhealthy.

@evan I think it depends on how they're used, and I think it's mostly the commercial social networks that are unhealthy, and not just for minors. Having your opinions and knowledge of current events shaped by a corporate entity is unquestionably bad. I don't think minors are significantly more susceptible to that external manipulation than adults are.

@evan

Conceptually, no. An online social space isnt automatically anything but social

But as created and run currently, by people and corporate entities who design social networks to maximize engagement by outrage and do not design for healthy use?

That's bad for basically everyone, especially kids who are still learning to navigate their physical social spaces.

@evan ah. I now see where the support for the privacy invasion legislation is coming from.

the idea that children should sit silent, isolated, and inert, until their 18th birthday whereupon they magically gain all the skills needed to live well is what's unhealthy for children.

just let them live their lives with unconditional agency, love, and support. I guarantee you it is better. sometimes they might go online! you are just going to have to find a way to deal with that, team.

@evan children should be allowed to talk to other children. It's what we did growing up.

@evan not sure about the networking per se, but clearly some algorithms are

@evan Yes.

Most are already unhealthy for adults, and minors have even fewer psychological tools than adults to protect themselves from the harm they cause.

So, they're even more unhealthy for minors.

@evan
Anything indulged in to excess will be unhealthy. Don't quite see why Google and Meta should be to blame in that Los Angeles court case though, no matter how ugly their algorithms are. It's like blaming a tree for a motorist's demise.

@evan I mean, they are unhealthy for everyone.

@evan I answered Yes, but. I think rather than social networks in their entirety it is algorithms designed to encourage addiction and amplifying harmful content that are most unhealthy (for everyone not just minors).

@evan It is not that social networks exist, or that they are social that makes them unhealthy, it's algorithmic manipulation by billionaires.

I have just had the unfortunately experience these past few days of what happens when Facebook randomly decides to put my political posts in front of the eyeballs of angry white men.

@evan depends on the social network, but not inherently. So I went with "no, but."

@evan Not social networks per se, but the purposefully addictive design that tries to keep people on platforms and show them ads and the lack of reporting and moderation are issues that affect everyone but minors disproportionally

@evan No, not in general, but the way most current profit-oriented, algorithmic networks work are unhealthy.

@evan No, the GAFAM are unhealthy for minors.

@evan Yes, if you mean "social" networks with feeds populated by intransparent algorithms.

@evan Not inherently, but as soon as someone decides to introduce an algorithm to increase engagement they become unhealthy for everyone.

@evan I'm curious how many people voting on this have young ones (I have a teen, and voted "no but" because they have an incredible social life, largely fueled by keeping in touch with people online, but we have so far restricted them to networks of closed groups, not "open world" social networks, mostly)

@evan social networks? no. addictive corporate social network? yes. (so no but)

@evan yes, but also for adults

@evan not inherently, but platforms that manipulate children's psychology to maximize profit are unhealthy and IMO extremely unethical.

@evan no but abusive companies are unhealthy for everyone

@evan Social networks are unhealthy, the way they work today.

@renata like this one?

@evan Yes. I wish we didn't feel the need to use a social network *at all* but the fact that it's virtually impossible to exist in 2026 without a social network is not a healthy thing.

I'm here because it's the best option available but I wish this was not something necessary.

@renata like methadone?

@evan Yes but also everyone.

@evan I wanted to say yes, but. But I think the most truthful answer for me is just yes. I think overall they are also unhealthy for adults. They're a fact of our world now, so I am betting on trying to improve them. It is a majro part of why I am on the fediverse.

@malte isn't this a social network?

@evan It is. I think you know that too, so I wonder how come you ask.

@malte because you said that you're on the Fediverse because social networks are unhealthy for kids and adults. For me, that means either that you don't think the Fediverse is a social network, or that you think it's ok or necessary to do something unhealthy.

@evan What I meant to say is that I think the way social networks work at the moment are overall unhealthy for us. The reason I'm here is that I see this as the most likely place to improve the situation.

@evan Yes, but it isn't a cut and dry, across the board answer

There are issues with social media in general with the sheer amount of access that anyone can have to an onslaught of information

But that's also an important part of allowing people to find themselves