cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/49761199

If you have been wondering about the effectiveness of the social media ban of under 15 year olds, this study got you :)

Spoiler: 92%+ of kids age 14-15 in Australia still use it ๐Ÿฅณ

Meanwhile IMO forced verification of users had a much better success rate ๐Ÿ˜‰

Source: https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w35162/w35162.pdf

Screenshot of graphic from this study of Australia's social media ban: https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w35162/w35162.pdf Percent of banned 14-15-year olds (b) Compliance rate, April versus June 2026 Usage rate: 64% April, 92% June Implied compliance: 27% April, 6% June Notes: Figure 5 reports self-reported past-7-day use of any banned platform.

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[โ€“] 4 points 3 months ago (2 children)

So badically, 36% used to not use it because they were too young, but now only 8% don't use it, implying that 28% from that 36% found a way to use it despite age checks?

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  • [โ€“] 5 points 3 months ago (1 child)

    The study talks a lot about a kind of entourage effect. It seems as though, if more than a third of their friends are on social they will attempt to by-pass the age filters. The age filters are reported as "easy" or "very easy" to by-pass. I'm not sure if it's mentioned in this paper but you don't need a fancy vpn or whatever. Some kids draw on a mustache. Some just screw up their face to look wrinkled.

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  • [โ€“] 2 points 3 months ago

    Well that IS surprising.

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  • [โ€“] 2 points 3 months ago

    It was always going to be difficult to remove social media from kids that are used with it. We will see the effect in the future because it could lead to fewer kids using social media in the future. It might take 5-10 years though.

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  • 5 comments in c/privacy@lemmy.ml view that post
    [โ€“] 32 points 3 months ago* (1 child)

    I know a great way to get kids to stop doing something!

    Tell them it isn't allowed.

    ๐Ÿคก

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  • [โ€“] 21 points 3 months ago

    well, obviously it just wasn't banned hard enough. Give them even more access to identifying information and they can fix this.

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  • [โ€“] 18 points 3 months ago*

    Meanwhile IMO forced verification of users had a much better success rate ๐Ÿ˜‰

    i wish they had spent some time looking at the effectiveness of both combined instead of just this one little blurb:

    lying about age on verification prompts (57%),

    that's roughly the same percentage of americans who can see a genocide live streamed to the palm of their hands every day and still won't accept that it's a genocide.

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  • [โ€“] 5 points 3 months ago
    5 comments in c/australia@aussie.zone view that post
    [โ€“] 2 points 3 months ago

    As expected.

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  • [โ€“] 2 points 3 months ago

    Good to see that the nation's revolutionary law is a booming success! /s

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  • [โ€“] 2 points 3 months ago

    Anecdotal, I realise - but my niece and all her classmates were on Instagram last year. When that was cut off from them, it wasn't replaced (the cohort didn't move to some other social media). So in her case, the ban has been a success. She'll be 16 in Feb anyway.

    My son on the other hand hasn't been affected. He is on YouTube and Discord and hasn't noticed the ban at all. He hasn't seen any age verification stuff. So in his case, the ban has been a total fizzle.

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  • [โ€“] 2 points 3 months ago

    It was never about the kids, they just needed an excuse to lock down the internet and most Aussies fucking bought it. My countrymen are fucking dumb as shit, Aussies are only useful for digging holes out in the desert it would seem. Shame, we could be so much more.

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  • [โ€“] 1 point 3 months ago
    3 comments in c/politics@lemmy.world view that post
    [โ€“] 14 points 3 months ago

    It's almost like these laws are about data collection instead of kids.

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  • [โ€“] 6 points 3 months ago

    Oops.

    Better keep collecting IDs just in case. Too late to change the law anyway.

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  • [โ€“] 2 points 3 months ago

    6% effective in June ๐Ÿ’€ we lost internet freedom for this

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  • 2 comments in c/privacy@lemmy.dbzer0.com view that post
    [โ€“] 15 points 3 months ago (1 child)

    Accessible parental controls ARE the way forward. NOT digital ID and biometrics verification.

    Supporting the latter shows a clear stance against privacy.

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