Re: Online Safety Bill
 

The first feature is Anita Rani interviewing Daisy Greenwell from a campaign group called Smartphone Free Childhood. Daisy believes that parents need more guidance from the NHS, Government & schools as most don't even know about the minimum age restrictions that apply.

She went on to say that there is mounting evidence that children are spending more and more time online . 8 to 10 year olds are spending 6 hours a day on their phones, with 11 to 14 year olds spending 9 hours! The effect is that this is making them more lonely, depressed & anxious.

In the last 3 years the likelihood of a child having mental health issues has increase by 50% in the last 3 years. Eating disorders amongst children have doubled in the last 6 years and the amount of under 18's taking antidepressant medication has increased by 44%..

It is acknowledged that all this isn't down to the use of smartphones alone, but the Children's Commissioner has said that there is a link between their use and eating disorders. It is thought that there was an increase in screentime due to lockdown.

Ofcom research has found that nearly a quarter of 5-7 year olds now have their own smartphone and 40& of them are using WhatsApp, despite the minimum age being set at 13. They also noted that parental controls appear to be diminishing, so websites must do more to protect children.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001xfv9

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Parents need guidance on parenting. Colour me surprised.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

From 0:17 (less adverts) Marianas Spring, the BBC Disinformation Correspondent Journalist, talks about about internet trolls:

https://www.itv.com/watch/katie-pipe...9/10a2809a0022

What drives somebody to troll somebody that they've never met and don't even know? Through her research Ms Spring has found that the trolls she has met are very frustrated, angry, upset people who feel let down. They then take out their frustrations on one particular person because user to user sites allow you to dehumanised the person on the other end as a result they don't psychologically think or behave as though the person is real. One troll who was traced was interviewed about their behaviour and casually said that he used to close his phone and went to bed after trolling somebody.

After explaining that there is actually another person with feelings who is being affected by their actions, a lot of trolls are able to reflect on their behaviour and say "I didn't realise that I was causing harm in tjat way".

She goes on to say rhat, although trolls are the bad guys, they are sometimes victims themselves because they're falling foul of the content that they're seeing themselves and it's leading them to behave in a harmful way.

In essence, I think she's saying that she believes in the phenomenon that "Hurt people hurt people'.

I've met this young lady and she's very professional and wise for her age. She's totally committed to her job and genuinely wants to help in every aspect of her job.

Sadly, out of all BBC journalists, she receives 80% of the abuse directed at them. She believes that the ultimate aim of trolls is to drive people off various websites, but that this won't succeed as part of her job is to be on social media. She deals with the abuse she gets by viewing it as a case study (which is the best way to deal with it IMO).

Finally, she says that websites appear to be more interested in making money than protecting their users (again something that I agree with her about).

---------- Post added at 20:04 ---------- Previous post was at 19:58 ----------

In Finland they have social media literacy lessons. It wouldn't be a bad idea for us to have them too.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

On GMB this morning there was something about 12 hour school days. This is the break the cycle of continuous mobile phone use. Right...good luck with that....

They need to make up their minds. Is it the online content or the actual abuse / usage of mobile phones, social media etc that is the problem. They'll be going after PCs, PlayStations and Xbox's to try and stop online gaming next.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Spring has ZERO legitimacy, I’d rather hear Mr Tumble’s take on it.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Thats obviously unrealistic, for so many reasons.

They have been complaining about games (and their influence) for the last 30+ years, nothing new there.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

That is a long time. Surely they can't mean lessons for 12 hours a day? Do they mean a breakfast club, lessons & then after school activities or somewhere to do their homework?

This could be the answer to childcare problems for working parents, but even so 8am to 5 or 6pm would be better.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

What about time for kids to be kids? To play around, go to fields/woods/parks etc, making dens, getting dirty, scrapes and scratches.
I grew up in South Africa where, because of the weather, you start early and end around lunchtime, whole afternoon free for sport, homework and freedom.


But isn't this getting off base a bit?

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

That's all been replaced with sitting on their own in their bedrooms with online gaming.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Yup, instead of playing outside and talking to each other they're sat inside gaming and/or talking on social media.

---------- Post added at 13:38 ---------- Previous post was at 13:32 ----------

BBC lunchtime news says that tik tok could be banned by the UK & the USA over security concerns because it is Chinese owned.

If they refuse to sell, nobody wants to or can afford to buy it, 'it will be removed from app stores, won't receive any updates and wither away'.

This isn't related to trolling/the Online Safety Act, but could be an indication as to how our Government will attempt to block
apps that don't comply with the Act.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c87zp82247yo

A Bill requiring this has been passed and is to be passed to President Biden to sign.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Uptake of vpn by tik tok users in the USA to follow :dunce:

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

People who inhabit tech-minded forums like this one tend not to realise how few people in the wider world will instinctively reach for a tech solution like that. Sure there will be more than a few, but not nearly enough to make the difference. Tik Tok will be dead in the USA.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

I suppose that depends on how well tiktok enlighted their US users about the option, while they still can.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

If someone uses a VPN to make it look like they're in another country, will they see a different app store?

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Not ordinarily. They’d also need to have registered their account for that app store in another country.

That said, you can install apps from anywhere on an Android device easy enough by not using the Google store.