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1. Embed this notice
   Mr Penguin (mr_penguin@social.freetalklive.com)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 10:47:18 JST Mr Penguin

   "At the core of the social media ban is emerging research indicating that for some teens, extended time spent on social media is associated with depression and anxiety. A 2022 study found nearly half of adolescents reported social media making them feel worse about their body image."

   umm your literally surveying a population that fills out these questionnaires by making faces with the scantron (ok, not sure if that is something still in use, but while it's dated it's literally what I saw EVERY KID in my 9th grade, so about 14, class doing when required to take a survey to this end in the late 1990s early 2000s). The point is the survey data is likely completely and utterly inaccurate in the first place.

   However even if it wasn't there is no evidence to suggest that this is anything other than normal teenage behavior. Hormonal changes, etc. and the implication of the wording of the question is what leads to youth to whatever degree there is anything behind the question to answering yes when there is ZERO evidence of correlation between the two.

   • Embed this notice
     iced depresso (icedquinn@blob.cat)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 10:57:27 JST iced depresso

     in reply to
     @mr_penguin i've been hearing that my whole life. including just using computers or something. parents were even like "we wouldn't have given you one if we had to do it again"
     
     i think it'd be possible to do A/B studies on the subject. you'd also need to deal with a handful of other controls, though, because i have a feeling if they had access to social media and choose not to use it they probably have a more supportive environment and those are already known to result in less depression. if they have the same helicopter parent enforced isolation and now don't have the computer outlet, they're probably not going to be less depressed. there's a lot of confounders.
   • Embed this notice
     Mr Penguin (mr_penguin@social.freetalklive.com)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 11:03:50 JST Mr Penguin

     in reply to

     • iced depresso

     @icedquinn It doesn't even make sense that someone is going to be depressed because of social media. If it's making you sad you'd stop using it. If anything your going to find the sorts of people you like online where you can't otherwise find them in the real world.

     No, kids are online as a result of control freak parenting and authoritarian institutions they're facing in the real world. They're already got lots of reasons to be depressed and it's half the reason kids are depressed. Not computers.

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     iced depresso (icedquinn@blob.cat)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 11:24:05 JST iced depresso

     in reply to
     @mr_penguin millions of dollars goes in to tuning the platforms to avoid psychological triggers where someone would organically walk away from it. they like them just under the level where you'd have any sense of fulfillment.
     
     something that took me a while to identify as an adult and paying a lot of attention to time records. somewhat publicly documented nowadays.
     
     then there's the issue that alternatives may not really be available. as a child i couldn't get any encouragement from anywhere to keep doing other more productive things.
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     iced depresso (icedquinn@blob.cat)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 11:28:34 JST iced depresso

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     @mr_penguin the thing with the torment nexus is you don't use it and then become demonstrably sad. you experience it and time passes but you neither feel particularly happy for having used it or frustrated enough to walk away. by comparison people who do something they actually like (say they were decent at music, got an instrument, weren't socially destroyed trying to learn it..) by comparison they are a lot happier doing that.
     
     afaik the 'happier without social media' crowd tends to have an actual tribe instead, which is why they are happier by comparison.
     
     like i mentioned originally if they're just locked in a closet they won't be happier, i don't think.
   • Embed this notice
     Mr Penguin (mr_penguin@social.freetalklive.com)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 16:59:43 JST Mr Penguin

     in reply to

     • iced depresso

     @icedquinn This is entirely dependent on ones interest and has nothing to do with social media. A kid who likes music is going to be happy doing music, but a kid who doesn't isn't. The same thing is true with social media.

     The answer is freedom.

     I never got on Facebook or Twitter, but after a decade of not being on Mastodon I got on.

     The only "social media" I was on prior and never created an account was YouTube.

     If something makes you unhappy stop doing the thing that makes you unhappy. And if it's not something in your control, well, that's called authoritarians and parents.

     If I had kids I'd be kicking em out by 14. Not for the sake of my benefit, but there benefit.

     I have friends whose kid moved out at 16. He hitched up with his girlfriend and they rented an apartment. Both got jobs and both are doing well many years later.

     The difference between normal 'parenting' and my friends parents is they weren't these authoritarian types who thought they owned their kid(s). The boy who moved out at 16 spent a few years going to government school of his on volition, but was otherwise home-schooled (not by religious nutters or without other options). And homeschooling didn't really mean no external schooling... just not government or traditional private schooling.

     Anyhow... he was a teenager and of course he didn't get along perfectly with his parents, but that's called growing up. That's why you move out. The education thing didn't stop when he moved out either. Though he also isn't exactly the brightest kid in the world either, but he's held down the same good paying job and is a manger for the last 5-6 years probably now.

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     iced depresso (icedquinn@blob.cat)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 17:03:57 JST iced depresso

     in reply to
     @mr_penguin
     > If I had kids I'd be kicking em out by 14
     
     :blobcathuh: right i think we're done here
   • Embed this notice
     Ree (ree@shitposter.world)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 17:11:01 JST Ree

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     @icedquinn @mr_penguin uhh I'll let them stay and if they want to when they are financially stable I'm okay with it
   • Embed this notice
     Mr Penguin (mr_penguin@social.freetalklive.com)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 17:11:01 JST Mr Penguin

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     • Ree

     @Ree @icedquinn

     I'm being a bit over the top in word choice here... my only point is I'd be encouraging the moving out thing rather than holding my kid(s) back. I didn't 'move out' until after I finished college and even then not immediately. I probably should have dropped out of school at 13 and not gone for a degree.... but I wouldn't frown on anyone for taking the "safe" route. I'd be a bit hypocritical if I did. However had someone else not been paying my tuition there is zero chance I'd have gone to college. It was the biggest waste of money. I spent 4 years and hundreds of thousands of dollars for what??? A piece of paper??? A piece of paper I NEVER used. Of course I understand the reality is 95% of the population is completely unmotivated. I on the other hand was held back by stupid people. Felt like I knew more going in than when I graduated and the kids I graduated with while bright I'd NEVER hire. Holly crap- you'd think in 4 years you'd have had a chance to catch up... but nope. I was so far ahead of the pack it was never going to happen. I had ~8 years more software development and technical know how to most kids ~4 years of shitty education. My professors were morons (and this is despite being one of the "best" computer science departments in the country supposedly).

   • Embed this notice
     Mr Penguin (mr_penguin@social.freetalklive.com)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 17:15:46 JST Mr Penguin

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     • david

     @dps910 @icedquinn

     Never been arrested... wait... no hold that thought. Been arrested... never been convicted. Retaliatory arrest for filming cops at a DUI checkpoint committing crimes and they didn't quite like the light I was shining on them. Technically it was me and another person ... I just got close enough to them for them to get their hands on me. Though it paid off with a significant settlement. Anyhow...

     the point I am making is FUCK statism. I don't care what the laws say. What I care about is the morally proper thing. Statists are blind to the harms caused by legislating things that need not be crimes and have no genuine victims, but rather create them.

     If it's wrong- fine- I'll comply with the law- to whatever degree it is right- but if it's not right- I will NOT respect it.

     You can go murder jews because the law dictates it- but it's NOT the morally proper thing to do.

   • Embed this notice
     david (dps910@social.freedombits.org)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 17:15:48 JST david

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     @icedquinn @mr_penguin also that is illegal lol
   • Embed this notice
     Mr Penguin (mr_penguin@social.freetalklive.com)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 17:24:30 JST Mr Penguin

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     • Ree

     @Ree @icedquinn

     14 is NOT a child. Christ. 13 year olds were getting married, getting pregnant, and so on. What do you think the bamisfa thing is about? This wasn't just a jewish thing (well, the bamisfa is, but other religions had other ceremonies of a similar nature when children became men so to speak).

   • Embed this notice
     Ree (ree@shitposter.world)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 17:24:31 JST Ree

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     @mr_penguin @icedquinn I'm not reading all of that. Dude 14 is a child
   • Embed this notice
     Mr Penguin (mr_penguin@social.freetalklive.com)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 17:28:20 JST Mr Penguin

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     • Ree

     @Ree @icedquinn

     What is illegal? Last I checked having an opinion where I am is not illegal. Unpopular? Probably where you are. Here? We still have age of consent set at 16 and the legislature refuses to increase it.

     Not that I'm suggesting 50 year old guys start fucking 16 year olds.. but the point is you've infantized the population to such an extreme "adults" can't hold down jobs.

   • Embed this notice
     Ree (ree@shitposter.world)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 17:28:21 JST Ree

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     @mr_penguin @icedquinn bro that's illegal now
   • Embed this notice
     Mr Penguin (mr_penguin@social.freetalklive.com)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 17:30:28 JST Mr Penguin

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     • Ree

     @Ree @icedquinn

     I wasn't suggesting lowering age of consent. If anything we should get rid of ALL laws restricting minors. Sex got nothing to do with it. We should also get rid of all laws where there isn't a victim of violence where violence is defined relatively broadly. I'm not suggesting prohibiting of dumping of toxic waste is somehow something that should be prohibited from being legislated. However you should have to prove an actual harm occurred before a crime exists.

     So ANYONE violating another in any way is a crime. The age is completely irrelevant. It doesn't somehow become OK to rape someone just cause someone turned 18.

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     Ree (ree@shitposter.world)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 17:30:29 JST Ree

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     @mr_penguin @icedquinn next let's lower the age of consent I guess? Gross
   • Embed this notice
     Mr Penguin (mr_penguin@social.freetalklive.com)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 17:31:31 JST Mr Penguin

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     • Ree

     @Ree @icedquinn

     Yea- your loony. I never said anything close to that.

     Your just a statist like 98% of the world.

     But this is why I moved to New Hampshire. To get away from crazy fucks who think we need to abuse kids to "protect them".

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     Ree (ree@shitposter.world)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 17:31:32 JST Ree

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     @mr_penguin @icedquinn hey I'm not the guy who want to kick 14 year olds out and than telling me we should marry them.
   • Embed this notice
     Mr Penguin (mr_penguin@social.freetalklive.com)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 17:33:09 JST Mr Penguin

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     • Ree

     @Ree @icedquinn

     See, proof government education has failed. You lack even the most basic reading comprehension skills.

   • Embed this notice
     Ree (ree@shitposter.world)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 17:33:10 JST Ree

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     @mr_penguin @icedquinn so you're telling me 14 year olds should have sex with 80 year olds werid
   • Embed this notice
     Mr Penguin (mr_penguin@social.freetalklive.com)'s status on Sunday, 26-Apr-2026 17:51:07 JST Mr Penguin

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     • Ree

     @Ree @icedquinn

     Just realized I think I misspoke. The New Hampshire legislature has refused to INCREASE the age of consent, not refused to lower it. Doubt they'd lower it and I was never advocating that... only point was that your in the minority in New Hampshire. The idea that young people can't get licenses in left-wing nut jobs states until they are out of college just boggles my mind. Though the idea that you'd try and regulate a teens sex life is bizarre as fuck. No thank you. It's sick twisted perverts who want to put cameras in little kids bedrooms and crazily government schools have done just that through the monitoring software installed on the computers they hand to school students. Yea.. it was reported on ... somewhere they were doing that.

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     Mr Penguin (mr_penguin@social.freetalklive.com)'s status on Monday, 27-Apr-2026 12:40:12 JST Mr Penguin

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     • Ree

     @Ree @icedquinn

     Not sure I can disagree with any of that. Though it's probably excessive and how we're in this boat in the first place. Freaking out over dangers that are highly unlikely even if terrible in the rare instances where they do happen.

     Just a quick AI overview of just why stranger danger and men in white vans kidnapping your kid(s) is almost entirely fear mongering nuttery (and no, your probably not to blame, just a side effect of media taking advantage of your emotions, politicians taking advantage of your fear to get votes, and media personalities again... taking advantage of your fear to making money off the advertising sold, ie 'to catch a predator', which apparently was setup and those caught not actually arrestable.. not sure if it had to do with the people not knowing the ages or what the story was... just recall there being a scandal regarding it):

     "Approximately 840,000 children are reported missing annually in the US, with a child going missing every 40 seconds. However, the vast majority are runaways or family abductions; stranger kidnappings are rare, with only about 100–350 cases annually, making the odds roughly 1 in 720,000. Family members commit ~78% of abductions, usually by non-custodial parents."

   • Embed this notice
     Ree (ree@shitposter.world)'s status on Monday, 27-Apr-2026 12:40:13 JST Ree

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     @mr_penguin @icedquinn dude I think schools spying on people creepy as fuck. And age verification is just away to track adults. I say we need to teach kids stranger danger, Internet safety again and parents how to block websites etc. I don't want 4 year olds on Roblox to get kidnapped for the hundredth time
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     Mr Penguin (mr_penguin@social.freetalklive.com)'s status on Monday, 27-Apr-2026 12:48:23 JST Mr Penguin

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     • Ree

     @Ree @icedquinn

     This is a very modern American-centric perspective. 'adult' varies from place to place and culture to culture. In Japan it's often 21, even in the US it varies depending on what we're talking about, but there are legal definitions and they differ from common meaning or definitions. Minor=under 18, that doesn't mean child. A 'child' is prepubescent, and teens are often called 'young adults'. Culturally Europe often has a cut off closer to 16 I do believe though I'm not sure I fully understand the concept/scope. But for example 'kids' often start working at ~16. Though elsewhere it's ~19 (Germany) for when high school ends. In the US it's more closer to ~18. Germany has one extra grade level.

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     Ree (ree@shitposter.world)'s status on Monday, 27-Apr-2026 12:48:24 JST Ree

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     • Ree
     @mr_penguin @icedquinn 18 year olds is considered to be adult but I feel like they are too young to me.
   • Embed this notice
     Ree (ree@shitposter.world)'s status on Monday, 27-Apr-2026 12:48:25 JST Ree

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     @mr_penguin @icedquinn all I'm saying I feel like we need to higher it. But I find dating a 14 year old weird being 30. But I watched a YouTube video about a dude in California called him self d4vid and he raped and murdered a 15 year old. He known her at 12
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     Ree (ree@shitposter.world)'s status on Monday, 27-Apr-2026 12:52:15 JST Ree

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     @mr_penguin @icedquinn I bought up stranger danger because I remember being shown that at kindergarten. And I wasn't kidnapped but I live in a small city. Most crime here is people getting shot
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     Mr Penguin (mr_penguin@social.freetalklive.com)'s status on Monday, 27-Apr-2026 12:52:15 JST Mr Penguin

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     • Ree

     @Ree @icedquinn

     Yea, it is/was probably a mistake to introduce stranger danger to 4 year olds. I don't think they did anything like that when I was young. Though there were after school specials that covered these sorts of topics, but focused more on elementary and middle school age students, not toddlers.

     The problems that stem from this are people over-reacting and society being thrown into dangerous situation that lead to things like dictatorships and authoritarian states. If you can make the people afraid you can get some really terrible laws passed that enable the state to do some really horrible things to basically whoever they want rather than what they were sold on (ie to protect kids, etc).

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     Ree (ree@shitposter.world)'s status on Monday, 27-Apr-2026 13:06:22 JST Ree

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     @mr_penguin @icedquinn when I was younger I personally remember walking alone and things were safe. But I heard other cities they will just yonk you if you're a kid.
   • Embed this notice
     Mr Penguin (mr_penguin@social.freetalklive.com)'s status on Monday, 27-Apr-2026 13:33:59 JST Mr Penguin

     in reply to

     • iced depresso
     • Ree

     @Ree @icedquinn

     Yea, I live in New Hampshire now, but a decade plus ago parents started freaking out about kidnappers and now little johny can't go out and play without a babysitter. It's dumb. Instead we're all dying of diabetes. So much better than the tiny risk of being kidnapped. In New Hampshire it's more like how things were 25+ years ago...

     My neighbors kids were actually outside playing earlier today and I 'ran into' or more like walked by lots of kids playing outside today as I took a stroll with a friend from his place to a down town social gathering.

     Crazy thing is kids ... young kids here... they actually are allowed to walk places and people mostly don't freak out about it. The rare exception is when some bureaucrat is trying to get back at someone whose pissed them off. I can only think of one case like this in NH, but they brought up absurd and untrue charges against this mother who left her kid in the car for 2 minutes. A bureaucrat working in the attorney generals office who had a thing out for a certain politically active libertarian targeted her. It's not a crime in New Hampshire to leave your kid in the car for 2 minutes. Anyhow... they still brought charges. It was something like neglect or IDK something absurd. The testimony of the witnesses FOR the prosecutor testified to widely varying amounts of time the kid was left unatteneded. One said 15 minutes, another said 45 minutes. The 45 minutes was impossible. The AC was on even though it wasn't hot out, and the car shuts off at 15 minutes I believe it was. The car was still blowing A/C when mom got out of the grocery store and the cop was just arriving.

     I think that was retaliation b/c they refused to let child protection services in (of which you can refuse).

   • Embed this notice
     sister_sam (sister_sam@social.freetalklive.com)'s status on Tuesday, 28-Apr-2026 09:59:01 JST sister_sam

     in reply to

     @mr_penguin If are depressed or withdrawn or just introverted you often spend more time online. Correlation is not causation.