The Murder of Social Media…

Here we are… Some very unpleasant people have taken over the social media platforms and have enabled nasty ai bots that allow us to send demeaning images of other people to our friends and just about anyone we can think of for our gratification…

Wake up! The first thing to understand here is that without us being stupid enough to send the demeaning images, that doesn’t happen. Are we that childishly vindictive to chase out someone who may have done us a minor wrong on social media? Unfortunately, the answer seems to be yes.

This has especially been the case with younger users who don’t have that experience vibe that us older folks do. And that’s why the older folks, alarmed by the number of youngsters choosing to jump ship from this world, are finally seeking to close down social media for under 16’s. Is that the right approach?

Something like 10 years ago I met a couple of young men on a social media site. I’d estimate one was an early teenager and the other was 10 years old. They both approached me – not the other way around. That happened because they were both on a social media site at the same time as me and they wanted some support / help from someone with experience.

What did we have in common that drew them to me? Truck Simulator. They were kids trying to get to grips with the game but without the knowledge that comes from being a real world driver. All I was doing was posting some images from my trips – usually to encourage my fellow truckers towards a community goal.

We posted to each other a lot including direct messages… One of those guys learnt a lot about photography from me because he had the chance through social media. He’s now through school and looking at becoming a professional cameraman. He also shared a nice photo with me of getting engaged to his girlfriend 😎

The other lad? – I speak to him every day through BlueSky. He has ADHD and enjoys his gaming within the limits of his parents financial support. His friends on BlueSky helped pay for the replacement of his laptop screen last year when it broke.

I spoke to my Son about the proposed banning of under 16’s from social media. He thinks it’s wrong and will not resolve anything. We both think this will be a mis-directed attack on the rights of the young. Better by far to hunt down those media platforms that permit and encourage the creation and sending of demeaning images – Nip the problem at its source!

Banning under 16’s will remove the opportunities of friendship and support experienced by my young friends – is that what we really want as a society… To prevent the young learning from the older experienced members of our society?

Is the issue really social media / Or is it about parents who are just too busy to parent effectively and maybe lacking in tech savvy? I’ll leave that for you, my readers, to draw your own conclusions…