Social media sites thrive on the engagement that comes from those people doom scrolling so this whole premise is antithetical to the purpose of social media sites and the only reason they aren’t doing the same to children is because the law prevents them from doing so wholesale (but they will try to edge around the law every chance they get).
Social media sites should have 'reverse' Parental Controls; where adult children can block their boomer/senior parents' accounts from viewing conspiracy and radicalizing content.
Submitted 11 months ago by Snowwomen@discuss.tchncs.de to showerthoughts@lemmy.world
Comments
atrielienz@lemmy.world 11 months ago
WereCat@lemmy.world 11 months ago
My parents are already fully indoctrinated. I don’t think there’s a way back
birdwing@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 months ago
If they radicalised once they can deradicalise again
Clairvoidance@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
What they should do is one of those replace-words add-ons making rightwingers talk positive about DEI or talk shit about anti-immigration
Surp@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Man so much hate in this thread I’m not about what’s happened at all with the USA but I’ll still protect my family and show them a better way rather than let them rot and die. So many self righteous people thinking they know whats good.
Pulptastic@midwest.social 11 months ago
That’s a feature, not a bug. They show that stuff intentionally.
seeigel@feddit.org 11 months ago
Yes, let’s normalize censorship.
If the majority of people cannot handle information on their own, how can we maintain democracy?
Are senior cititzens more stupid? Otherwise how do we know that we believe the right things, and not just what is acceptable by the mainstream which will change for the next generation?
Maalus@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Yes, senior citizens are more stupid. That’s why scams targetting them exist. You can tell them about something being a scam and they will fall for it anyway. They will get fished by “huge savings” and “sales” despite being millionaires. Once someone starts “sliding back”, it doesn’t matter how smart they used to be.
Cocopanda@futurology.today 11 months ago
My parents are full blown terrorists. But their so fat they can’t actually do anything about their beliefs. I’ve warned them that if a Civil War starts. They will be the first to die because medications wont be available to keep them alive and I won’t care when it happens. They voted for this and support this trash.
rumba@lemmy.zip 11 months ago
My wife stayed at an Airbnb last week, I tried to convince her to turn the parental controls on and block OAN and Fox.
viking@infosec.pub 11 months ago
What’s OAN? Never heard of that.
Doctor_Satan@lemm.ee 11 months ago
One America News. They used to be a fringe right-wing conspiracy website. Now they have a “news” broadcast on cable TV and a presidential administration that boosts them. It’s basically your drunk Qanon uncle rambling about lizard people, but with professional production.
nickiwest@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Farther right than Fox. Yes, it’s possible.
gamer@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Another far-right shit hole
reluctant_squidd@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
It’s the right idea, but too narrow of a demographic. It’s not the old people that seem to be the problem. At least not only them. It’s the uneducated or intellect impaired that should be reined in. The ones that are just smart enough to use Facebook, but would struggle to understand the concept of the Dunning–Kruger effect
The amount of younger people that are sucked in hook, line, sinker, rod, boat, trailer and truck is staggering.
It’s like they decided that reality didn’t work for them, so let’s just ignore it in favour of “insert discriminatory slogan or catchphrase here”.
It’s bonkers.
princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 months ago
It’s the uneducated or intellect impaired that should be reined in.
Are you aware that this genuinely sounds like some nazi shit? Let’s maybe not start controlling what the “intellect impaired” can do with their lives…
reluctant_squidd@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
I think you are confusing Nazism with genuine concern. Careful with that. Hating people for opposing views is more dangerously close to what you so easily accuse me of, and your tiny tough guy attempt to mask your own bigotry just highlights that you may need to reflect a little.
To my previous point, not somehow mitigating the easily duped portion of our formerly democratic systems is a big part of what’s driving the Nazi ideals back into popularity. As long as untamed propaganda is allowed into the thoughts of the weak minded, the rest of us face an uphill battle.
If you read my previous statement about this again. You’ll notice that I didn’t say anyone should be controlled. Whether we bring facts back into law and punish those who spread lies, or bolster education to teach people how to spot the lies, it doesn’t really matter. But splitting hairs over how I said it won’t change that it is a problem.
Trying to deflect, blame or sidestep that is playing right into the MAGA/Nazi mindset. Division of the people and spooky non-issues to rally fear in the populace is what gives them control.
Doctor_Satan@lemm.ee 11 months ago
The amount of younger people that are sucked in hook, line, sinker, rod, boat, trailer and truck is staggering.
That demographic is a whole other problem that requires a whole other solution. Conservatives have spent a decade building the online right-wing pipeline with podcast bro’s and streamers aiming their content at young teenage boys. Now all those kids are of voting age, and a big chunk of them have spent half their lives being raised on manosphere bullshit that taught them that they are owed the world on a silver platter.
I will hand it to conservatives; they are frighteningly good at organizing and staying on message in ways that the Left can only dream of. If we could get half as organized as them, they’d never win another election.
andros_rex@lemmy.world 11 months ago
JK Rowling is doing something extremely similar to teenage girls, and this isn’t really on many’s radar.
viking@infosec.pub 11 months ago
Yeah, there’s a reason the orange overlord is targeting universities now. He knows that election wins come from the uneducated and poor. They either truly don’t know, or don’t care enough since they have no investments worth mentioning.
nickiwest@lemmy.world 11 months ago
You give him too much credit. He doesn’t know any of this. But the right-wing think tanks that have been waiting for this moment do, and he’s easily manipulated into following their agenda.
surph_ninja@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I’m so tired of this rampant paternalism across society. It’s exhausting.
gamer@lemm.ee 11 months ago
paternalism
Whenever I see someone complaining about this on the internet, I imagine they’re an angsty teenager mad that their mom doesn’t let them get a face tattoo.
surph_ninja@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Yeah, you’re aware of the definition of paternalism then. That’s the whole point if authoritarianism. The leadership does not believe the people can trusted to run their own lives, and treats the entire population as disobedient teenagers.
meliaesc@lemmy.world 11 months ago
How do you propose to counteract the spread of facism through the internet?
surph_ninja@lemmy.world 11 months ago
The same we fight it in the physical world. With debate and education and engagement.
Wild that you would express concern with spreading of fascism while advocating for technocracy. You don’t oppose fascism- you just have a preferred flavor of it.
RedditIsDeddit@lemmy.world 11 months ago
How about we just don’t censor anything?
gamer@lemm.ee 11 months ago
People who say this are usually consuming misinformation and propaganda and don’t know it. Anyone outside of those echo chambers can clearly see how it’s dangerous and harmful to democracy.
RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 11 months ago
And so nothing changes and probably continues to get worse.
Also, this is an attempt to block malicious influence, outright lies, and distorted reality. You’re free to access actual reality anytime.
Aneb@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I feel like we are glossing over the fact that I doesn’t matter that fact if someone is young or old, we can all have good ideas! But the fact of the matter is we need teem limits in congress and SUPREME COURT. We have a problem with stale ideas.
gamer@lemm.ee 11 months ago
I feel like we are glossing over the fact that I doesn’t matter that fact if someone is young or old,
Actually if you’re talking about congress and the supreme court, I think age limits would make a lot of sense. After all, the people in these positions are deciding how the rest of us get to live. If they don’t represent the generations they’re governing over, it’s inherently unfair. I think anybody who isn’t of working age shouldn’t be allowed to govern, as that’s always the most important demographic for the country.
TheColonel@reddthat.com 11 months ago
I can’t speak for everyone but I raised my mom right and kept her away from that trash.
explodicle@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
I recently thanked my dad for not going all crazy. He fixes up old cars and takes pictures of birds.
gamer@lemm.ee 11 months ago
I’m jealous. Mine watches far-right extremist content on tiktok and youtube. What’s an affordable hobby that wouldn’t make an insecure man-child feel emasculated?
LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Adults controlling other adults isn’t “reverse” tho.
Bgugi@lemmy.world 11 months ago
The “reverse” here is in the context: “parental controls” is conventionally allows parents to restrict offspring.
LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Yeah I get the attempted use, but it’s not a reverse because adults can only restrict minors, not “offspring”.
emax_gomax@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Lol, this is literally a south park episode.
mogranja@lemmy.world 11 months ago
True. I also wanted a senior mode on Apple family groups.
MangoCats@feddit.it 11 months ago
Simpler still: disenfranchise senile boomers. Of course you don’t target boomers specifically, any old person with very little time left to live and severe disconnect from reality shouldn’t be allowed to vote on what affects the rest of the world long after they are dead.
TriflingToad@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
severe disconnect from reality
Something about that doesn’t sit right with me. Seeing how far the definition of an “illegal alien” is being stretched for deportation, I have a feeling people with autism, ADHD, depression, etc, would all be added to the list of people who are “disconnected from reality”
Not to mention some people are dumb enough to argue being trans is a mental illness aswell. (dysphoria is, being trans is not)
MangoCats@feddit.it 11 months ago
inform people about what’s going on around them
I have lived all my life around retirees, people 50+ years old. I can tell you from that experience, you can inform them all you want, they’re not likely to change their opinions about anything.
Bryllyg@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 months ago
I feel the need to offer a correction. Dysphoria is a diagnosis, and is not considered to be a mental illness.
MutilationWave@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
They did specifically say senile in conviction with a severe disconnect from reality.
Treczoks@lemmy.world 11 months ago
That’s what router settings do. Sorry, X is not reachable from here.
davetapley@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I love this in general, unfortunately for me my dad is a retired network engineer 😫
Treczoks@lemmy.world 11 months ago
As long as you hold the passwords…
MotoAsh@lemmy.world 11 months ago
He still shouldn’t be able to circumvent a solid password. Sure, if the cell has signal, the home wifi settings won’t matter, but…
boreengreen@lemm.ee 11 months ago
I think it would be better to make social media unprofitable with heavy regularion on data collection, trading and sharing.
lemmy_outta_here@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Totally agree. Especially since in my country, young people are swallowing far-right propaganda at a higher rate than boomers. Canada’s Tater Tots are trying to elect a MAGA candidate right now. Age is not the problem - the well of information has been poisoned.
ameancow@lemmy.world 11 months ago
China, now the leading global super-power, took drastic measures decades ago to make sure their population wasn’t getting indoctrinated by outside influences.
They also used this power to cover up genocides and such, but I feel like a healthier balance could be maintained if we could just get our population to understand that their unfettered access to literally anything is like opening up a wound to the world’s bacteria.
BackgrndNoize@lemmy.world 11 months ago
China didn’t do that cause they care about their citizens. They did it so only they can control what propoganda their citizens consume, teaching children critical thinking and emotional regulation early in their life is a better approach than trying to turn the external world into some safe garden
Opinionhaver@feddit.uk 11 months ago
I guess you don’t think much of your parents then if you feel like you’re a better judge of that.
pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip 11 months ago
I mean… Have you seen the stuff my parents share…?
I’m just thankful that my kids will never be embarrassed by me. (This is sarcasm. Of course they will!)
I actually hope my kids are at least a little embarrassed by me, someday. I hope they will embrace new kinds of pragmatic effective compassion and community, even if I’m unable up adapt.
Zahille7@lemmy.world 11 months ago
My mom embarrassed me all the time as a kid, but only because she’s a boisterous, loud personality. She never really did anything on purpose, and I was never the one to throw a tantrum in public so there was no need.
Freshparsnip@lemm.ee 11 months ago
The opposite of parental controls would be blocking content made for kids
Absaroka@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Any time you hear Republicans argue 18 year olds shouldn’t be able to vote, and they want to increase the age to 21/25, tell them “OK - then anybody over 65 isn’t allowed to vote either.”
MehBlah@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I would settle for no one can be elected if their age is younger or older than 30 and 60.
bufalo1973@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Same maximum retirement age for everyone. Politicians included.
madame_gaymes@programming.dev 11 months ago
There already is a lower limit (must be 35), just need to add the upper
Guns0rWeD13@lemmy.world 11 months ago
no, WE THE PEOPLE should have global networks that simply remove that kind of brain rot and delete the people that perpetuate it.
MangoCats@feddit.it 11 months ago
The first step in trustable networks is securely validated identity.
On the internet nobody knows if you’re a dog, a Russian Troll, or a corporate shill.
trolololol@lemmy.world 11 months ago
You can be all three at the same time!
Jokes apart, how would you prevent trolls and shills from trolling and shilling?
We already have a problem where real accounts get stolen because they have a history so it’s harder to be flagged as bots. And one person can open multiple accounts in multiple networks. Hell, Facebook forces people to have phone numbers and there’s still so many bots and shills there.
I don’t want this to sound like a straw man, I think there’s so many ways for bots to happen that it’s like playing wack a mole.
Katana314@lemmy.world 11 months ago
This is the one thing I hoped for out of crypto/blockchain.
You, commenter, don’t need to know that I’m “Brian Brianson, a citizen living at 123 Abenue Avenue”. But, it’s good to know that the person commenting is a real person who has been seen and verified by someone, as a simple true/false flag. If there were good ways of verifying basic conditions of people you interact with online, without exposing personal details, then it could curb botnet opinionation as well as be useful for a lot of things.
Gonzako@lemmy.world 11 months ago
The squad has taken care of the hacker
Empricorn@feddit.nl 11 months ago
Maybe I’m crazy, but I don’t think we should kill large amounts of people just because they follow a different political ideology than us. 🙄 We have to be better than these extremists to truly show them a better way…
gamermanh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
just because they follow a different political ideology than us
Good thing the actual reason is the being Nazi thing, not just having a different opinion then!
Fuck Nazis and anyone who thinks they don’t deserve a slow and agonizing death
y0kai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
… I think he meant delete accounts, not delete actual people, but I could be wrong lol
DarkMetatron@feddit.org 11 months ago
Yeah, stripping adult people from some of their basic rights sound like a perfectly fine idea.
untakenusername@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
you should realize this is half a joke
DarkMetatron@feddit.org 11 months ago
When someone talks about murdering everyone he doesn’t agrees with, then the joke in my eyes ends.
But yes, I think enough words have been said here, everything else is pointless redundancy.
Empricorn@feddit.nl 11 months ago
No rights are being removed. If they choose to come to you for free IT support, they are choosing to accept how you set up their devices…
a4ng3l@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Remember that at a point in time they setup yours…
DarkMetatron@feddit.org 11 months ago
That is not helping or support, that is enforcing your will on someone else in the disguise of help. Oh and I am sure that they will be fully informed about that cost and its implications.
prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 months ago
It’s better than the alternative. Trust me.
DarkMetatron@feddit.org 11 months ago
So what basic rights should we strip them also? The right to vote? I mean, if they are not capable of making valid decisions about what to watch/read/think then they can’t be capable of making valid decisions to vote! And lets remove Freedom of Speech fully, it only gets misused to enable nasty opinions and thoughts that “the correct and good” people don’t like.
maniclucky@lemmy.world 11 months ago
We can influence the behavior of our loved ones, we can’t meaningfully influence sociopaths corporations. While not feasible, it still feels like the best of a a bunch of shitty options.
DarkMetatron@feddit.org 11 months ago
There is a huge difference between “influence the behavior of our loved ones” and acting as a dictator who censors where the adult and mentally fit loved ones can get their information from.
Tattorack@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I would whole-heartedly support this.
Proprietary_Blend@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Lol. What controls?
StarlightDust@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 months ago
I just keep their Facebook accounts logged in on my phone. Every few months, I will go onto their profiles and unlike pages like “Wear your poppy with pride” and deradicalize their algorithm. Poppies for British boomers on Facebook are like Elsa and Spiderman on YouTube for babies.
mogranja@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Very good idea there. I’m starting to have to keep track of my parents passwords (because they don’t) and removing spam/disinformation from their Facebook/email/YouTube regularly might resolve many issues.
Like someone mentioned, shoveling the shit. Can’t stopped it from getting there, but I can remove it.
boreengreen@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Facebook slowly pushing more shit and you shoveling the shit away. Nicely done!
Flax_vert@feddit.uk 11 months ago
How are poppies radical on Facebook?
Fluke@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Because the wearing of poppies has become synonymous with the now deduct BNP and the rest of the British right wing for a lot of us.
You can thank Stephen Yaxley-Lennon for that.
TranquilTurbulence@lemmy.zip 11 months ago
So, you mean like childish control?
CompostMaterial@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I constantly refer to my parents and in-laws as children. Why because they behave exactly like my 11 year old. They have no critical reasoning skills, no emotional intelligence, are easily offended, and can not be reliability left on their own without screwing something up.
At some point around retirement age, humans seem to cognitively revert back to children and those of us in middle adulthood are left to parent our actual children and our childish parents.
lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network 11 months ago
At some point around retirement age, humans seem to cognitively revert back to children
I know someone who works in a elderly care home, she says roughly the same: “Ouderen verkindsen” (elderly turn into children)
Your cognitive abilities really do seem to diminish after a certain point, no matter where. It’s annoying they think they’re adults and demand respect…
MutilationWave@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
My great grandmother (meemaw) had severe dementia, and one time in a moment of clarity she said I believe that you’re a child twice, at the beginning and the end.
She lived to 96. Luckily my grandparents that I loved, her daughter (mamaw) and her daughter’s husband (papaw), died relatively much sooner once dementia set it. Unfortunately my grandpa lived with it for about ten years but it was only a couple years for my grandma. In great grandma’s case, she was falling in dementia around the time I was born.
vodkasolution@feddit.it 11 months ago
Sorry guys, that also happened 40 years ago in the form of “retired guy has some free time and starts buying 2 newspapers, one of which is just political propagabda”… That’s definitely not on social media, they just amplified the phenomena