Bro, hold on tight because I've got news that left me speechless! Great Britain, the one that used to give us lessons in democracy, wants to ban social media for kids under 16. Yes, you heard right! Keir Starmer, the prime minister over there, announces he's seriously thinking about cutting off access to TikTok, Instagram, and all that for kids who haven't turned 16 yet. He says it's about their mental health first, but I say it's also a control thing, bro.
Listen up, because I quoted from The Times, which got the info from Reuters. It seems Starmer talked to parents and looked at what Australia did in December 2024, when they introduced a similar ban. A source from Downing Street said: "The prime minister is not afraid to confront technology companies and their bosses to protect young people." Ouch, I can just see Mark Zuckerberg's eyes popping out!
But wait, it's not all set in stone. Another source, closer to the discussions, said it's unlikely they'll announce the ban this week. Instead, the British government might present measures against sextortion, meaning to prevent the creation of sexual images of children online. That's serious, but the ban is an idea that's making waves.
And they're not alone! The French, Danes, and Poles are already discussing tightening the rules. The Greeks, who are more determined, announced in April that they're banning access to social media for kids under 15 from January 2027. So the trend is clear: the world is scared of what TikTok is doing to kids.
Me, I'm thinking about Brian, my 14-year-old son, who's glued to his phone all day. Mioara keeps telling him to put down TikTok, but he plays dumb and says "all my friends do it." If a law like that comes here too, what do we do? Take his phone away? Send him to play football in the park? Maybe it's better, bro. But until then, I'd better figure out what to do with Brian, because I don't want him to become a screen-dependent zombie.
So, bro, remember: Britain wants to ban social media for under-16s, other Europeans are getting ready, and us? We're waiting for someone to set an example, as usual. Alright, I'm off to teach Brian something useful, maybe at least change a tire on the 2008 BMW, because that's what he needs, not likes!
