Von der Leyen has announced an EU-wide ban on social media. Should we celebrate?

President Von der Leyen has announced an EU-wide ban on social media, chatbots, and for young children. Should we celebrate?

“I am aware that many perceive the power of Big Tech as overwhelming and impossible to roll back. I disagree," she declared.

We too, disagree.

But then, Mrs. Von der Leyen, if you consider unacceptable the “capture their attention, their focus, their minds” by big tech platforms –social media being a great part of the problem–, why falling so short?

13 years old: Come on, that is the age companies such as Instagram have set themselves as the minimum age to create an account! Go and check on their terms and conditions.

So, the intention seems to consist in translating big tech’s own terms into law. Is that brave enough?

OK, teenagers aged 13-15 will only be able to access “mini-accounts”, with limited features, for one hour per day. But as a society, do we really want young teenagers to spend one hour a day on whichever version of social media?

When you’re 13, your brain is going through an intense phase of its neurodevelopment. What you need is to interact with others, study, play, exercise, chill, and sleep. Basically, everything social media and digital hyperconnection have profoundly harmed.

Based on a considerable amount of scientific evidence, the OFF Movement supports a ban on social media until 18.

More importantly, we are in favour of setting a legal age to own a smartphone, which would solve privacy concerns related to age-verification or the use of VPNs.

Because the problem is not only social media. It’s also AI companions, e-gaming, pornography, and a bunch of other services, especially when they’re accessible 24/7 and follow minors everywhere.

Whereas everything positive teenagers can get from the online world can be accessed through a computer, which remain at one place and allow more control.

By Diego Hidalgo