Social Networks

  • A social media block is a simple fix

    It’s become the trend all too quickly to say that a ‘block’ on certain age groups using social media is the fix to modern technology’s problem of moderating what people say and do. It’s a simple answer to a broad and complex question.

    The restriction of alcohol sales or the prohibition of any sexual activity to those over 16 or 18 isn’t the same thing. This is an issue of information and what it means.

    What is an age restriction such as with social media for
    Source credit: OpenAI ChatGPT.

    The exposure of explicit material to children is easily corrected by stipulating the same safeguards across all of it in the UK. These such filters and firewalls exist, but legislation has not met their threshold for safety and reliability.

    The ease of access of Internet-enabled devices isn’t an issue until a child reaches a certain age, and even then it’s not likely text-based social messaging or posting services will appeal to all of them. It’s an issue of design and not our natures.

  • Social networks still need some work

    The social media universe is now replete with all sorts of platforms, known and unknown. It’s hard to find someone that doesn’t have an account somewhere, even if it’s still on Facebook. The fact is, the technology has spread out exponentially, and it now encompasses much of what people regularly do online.

    Yet, the growth strategy of some needs refinement. This is believed to be the key to making and keeping it safe. If numbers of users can increase healthily, it means social interaction may also stay balanced. It’s believed sudden spurts in new signups increases the likelihood of negative content appearing on platforms.

    An example is Truth Social, a predominantly American social network, that reportedly has twelve million registered active users and somewhere in the region of one million users posting regularly. This is an expected ratio and backs up claims it has a better user eco-system than other, similar brands.

    The sudden growth spurts of networks like X and Bluesky may have contributed to a negativity in its output that’s too high. This is remedied by slower, medium level growth that’s consistent with innovation, or in-service updates that improve user experience. This covers for low quality engagement.