This podcast explores how tech companies and governments can act to better protect children and adolescents in the digital age.

Key topics include:

The addictive nature of social media: Social media platforms employ design features that exploit vulnerabilities in human psychology, creating "social-validation feedback loops" that encourage users to spend more time on their apps. These techniques include "pull to refresh" mechanisms, infinite scroll, and the use of algorithms to deliver content designed to keep users engaged.
The "race to the bottom of the brain stem": Tech companies compete for users’ attention by using increasingly aggressive methods to grab their attention and keep them hooked. The advertising-driven business model turns users into the product, and personalization of content further enhances the power of social media companies.
The mental health crisis among teens: The constant need for validation and the addictive nature of social media are contributing to a mental health crisis among teenagers.
The ineffectiveness of current regulations: Current laws such as the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which sets the age of internet adulthood at 13, are insufficient to protect children and adolescents. The age of 13 was a political compromise and is too young, according to the author, who argues for raising the age of internet adulthood to 16.
The need for government intervention: Governments need to change policies to better protect children online, including enacting laws that require companies to treat minors differently than adults, and that include an extra duty of care.
The Age Appropriate Design Code (AADC): The AADC, first enacted in the U.K., is an example of legislation that requires companies to design their services in the best interests of children. The code sets default privacy settings for minors as private, and platforms must be transparent about their privacy policies.
Age Verification: The podcast discusses various methods of age verification, such as using government-issued IDs, and also the problems with such methods. Alternative age verification methods that would allow for anonymous use of websites are discussed, such as the use of blockchain technology or having a network of people vouch for each other.
Device-based verification: The podcast also looks at the use of a device based age verification, where parents can mark their child's phones, tablets and computers as belonging to an underage user.
The need for more real-world experience: The podcast emphasizes the importance of encouraging children to spend time in the real world and engage in play, by making sure there are more play opportunities in schools, and also through changing zoning laws to create more mixed-use spaces where people of all ages can interact.
The importance of vocational education: The podcast also suggests that vocational programs can help young people, especially boys, as they transition to adulthood.

The podcast also calls for governments to narrow neglect laws and give parents the confidence to allow their children some unsupervised time without fear of legal intervention.

S1E11 | What Governments and Tech Companies Can Do Now | The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt | The Messy Podcast

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