• bobzer@lemmy.zip
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    1 day ago

    Prohibition didn’t work for drugs either

    I didn’t realize it was common for 14 year olds to drink alcohol and take heroin where you’re from…

    • some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      Underage drinking is still more common than it should be, despite strict laws. The point is, it doesn’t do any good to go after the consumer, regardless of age. in order to make a meaningful impact, legislation would have to destroy or significantly neuter social media companies altogether, globally. Anything else will be a disappointment.

      The more effective way to reduce these harms is through social/cultural change, but that’s easier said than done.

      • bobzer@lemmy.zip
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        1 day ago

        Underage drinking is still more common than it should be,

        Sure, but it’s significantly lower than legal drinking.

        We as a society acknowledge the harm of underage drinking so prohibition is effective. Prohibition of adult drinking was puritan bullshit the majority didn’t agree with so it didn’t work.

        I think you’d find a majority of parents agree social media is shit, but they’re unwilling to isolate their child. In this case prohibition would be effective.

        • some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          It will be effective if the prohibition takes the form of these companies no longer existing, at least in their current form, OR if the majority turn against them, making them irrelevant. An age gate won’t do anything, not on its own