The child safety problem on platforms is worse than we knew
www.platformer.news
A startling new report finds far more young kids using platforms than we suspected — and they’re having sexual interactions with adults in huge numbers
I asked Ashton Kutcher how to get in touch with the organization he lobbies for that helps youth from becoming victims of sexual abuse. Your site is where he sent me. I have subscribed. Thank you for taking this fight on. How many children will be saved from being mislead? I do not know, but as many precautions as we can take is our foot in the door at the very least.
I think this is a really important article -- unfortunate though it may be. First step in solving a problem is awareness of the problem.
That said -- I think this article clearly establishes why applications built for children are in such need (i.e. IG for children).
An application cannot be all things for everyone. Trying to make Facebook / IG etc. optimal for adults & children -- is like saying lets make 'Bars good for children'. Either Adults will dislike it, or children will be unsafe. Since Adults pay the bills, it'll be more the latter than the former.
Children need their own place, with their own rules, engaging with their own peers -- their own playground, so to speak. And... such an app can be designed differently -- perhaps get rid of the 'like' button, or have built-in 'life lessons' content (don't talk to strangers, be kind, etc.).
Anyway - I think it's a positive that people are uncovering the negative externalities of these platforms - it shed's light on opportunities for improvement. But I think 'abstinence' from technology is short-sighted.
We should be thinking about how to leverage technology to help our young generation become more educated, socially aware, and confident.
The child safety issue is a deep current of social tech that must terrify platforms but has to be faced. One thing I notice as a growing trend is the walking off of things one can do with many platforms without an account. Pinterest is infamous for letting you see almost nothing, facebook and TikTok are pretty tight, but YouTube is much easier to use signed out, and others like Snap don’t really make sense without an account because of the messaging nature. As soon as you’re someone on a network, other someones can find, follow, and start interacting. It’s obviously anathema to think about allowing more purely anonymous use, and that tension with the business model is a big part of what makes facing abuse hard for companies until they’re forced to. As difficult as it is, the problem reminds me of a lesson about tech accessibility: when you make it easier to use for those with challenges you make it easier for everyone. I think the same goes with safety and kids, and the potential benefits to adults, as well.
I asked Ashton Kutcher how to get in touch with the organization he lobbies for that helps youth from becoming victims of sexual abuse. Your site is where he sent me. I have subscribed. Thank you for taking this fight on. How many children will be saved from being mislead? I do not know, but as many precautions as we can take is our foot in the door at the very least.
I think this is a really important article -- unfortunate though it may be. First step in solving a problem is awareness of the problem.
That said -- I think this article clearly establishes why applications built for children are in such need (i.e. IG for children).
An application cannot be all things for everyone. Trying to make Facebook / IG etc. optimal for adults & children -- is like saying lets make 'Bars good for children'. Either Adults will dislike it, or children will be unsafe. Since Adults pay the bills, it'll be more the latter than the former.
Children need their own place, with their own rules, engaging with their own peers -- their own playground, so to speak. And... such an app can be designed differently -- perhaps get rid of the 'like' button, or have built-in 'life lessons' content (don't talk to strangers, be kind, etc.).
Anyway - I think it's a positive that people are uncovering the negative externalities of these platforms - it shed's light on opportunities for improvement. But I think 'abstinence' from technology is short-sighted.
We should be thinking about how to leverage technology to help our young generation become more educated, socially aware, and confident.
The child safety issue is a deep current of social tech that must terrify platforms but has to be faced. One thing I notice as a growing trend is the walking off of things one can do with many platforms without an account. Pinterest is infamous for letting you see almost nothing, facebook and TikTok are pretty tight, but YouTube is much easier to use signed out, and others like Snap don’t really make sense without an account because of the messaging nature. As soon as you’re someone on a network, other someones can find, follow, and start interacting. It’s obviously anathema to think about allowing more purely anonymous use, and that tension with the business model is a big part of what makes facing abuse hard for companies until they’re forced to. As difficult as it is, the problem reminds me of a lesson about tech accessibility: when you make it easier to use for those with challenges you make it easier for everyone. I think the same goes with safety and kids, and the potential benefits to adults, as well.