They shouldn't be expecting the government to do the parenting. I'm with you on the backbone, don't buy the kid a phone or laptop and they won't have as easy an access.

Delegated authority in parenting

Parents have a lot to answer for, it’s way easier to stick a phone or iPad under their very young ones noses rather than read a book to them or play ball with them.

Just get rid of social media entirely. We will all be better off without it. Oh, and regarding poor parenting, people learn how to parent from their own parents. Maybe the oldies need to take the responsibility.Edited 24-May-24 23:17pm

Social Media can become an addiction for young people as well as adults. Regulating Social Media accounts is just one form of recognising the harm it can create for people. We have a duty of care for children and must try to address the harm being created. The regulations are set for the many to protect the vulnerable.

I agree with this law. Kids spend too much time on social media

There are innumerable dangers for kids on the internet. Even adults get swindled all the time whether it be by someone posing as someone else, or presenting romance when it's just to get them alone to do as they please with this person, and that trickery never ends well. How many men, women and children are being trafficked at this moment by someone they met online? Every man, woman and child needs to be aware of the dangers all around them. I think the government in Australia and everywhere else should maybe put limits on certain phones and then it's up to the parents to purchase only those phones for their kids. Able to call Mom or Dad or emergency services, but not to go on all the social media accounts. Just a basic dumbed down phone for basic needs. Someone should get on inventing one:) Like helmets for bicyclists and seatbelts for drivers, not all laws and by-laws are bad things. It would prevent a humungous amount of bullying and sexting and suicides or other issues because of those, and it would keep your kids safe from traffickers pretending to be friends and then stolen for prostitution and child pornography and rape and murder and ...Edited 24-May-24 22:41pm

All parents need to do is turn their internet off. That's what my husband and I did. I would remove the router and hide it.

I think its for the parents who dont do anything and exploit their kids online. that should be illegal.

Well said, Paula.

With so many expert parents here why is society collapsing ???

I dont know, maybe search wiki.

judgy much?

Some people just shouldn't be parents at all they are so irresponsible - we are not perfect and have all done things on the spur of the moment we didn't think through but even the parents who try and do their best by their kids can't totally protect them from bad influences and peer pressure we just hope our influence helps in their decisions and life lessons. Discipline and explaining reason to your kids so they know there are consequences if they push the boundaries helps them understand.

What is there to stop a child from entering a false name and birthdate

Parents should teach their children as we were taught years ago with strictness but the do-gooders have made it very with all the political correctness that a child can't get a smack or be chastised & so they are completely overriding any discipline. for goodness sake parents do not want to maim their kids, but it is time for them to discipline without being charged

I agree with Kristina

No different to government banning them drinking alcohol and smoking. I fully support those being legislated and this also.

Parents should be 'parenting' their children. Not the governments job.

You must take responsibility for your actions. In this case producing children. You can say no. Be it to the father of the to be child or the child.

As it can be understood poor parenting can stem from various areas in a child's life while growing up, firstly I believe poor parenting comes from not taking full care from when they are born , withholding affection, Encouragment, lack of support, not setting rules and inconsistent disciplinary action, can result into confusion verbal /physical and mental abuse also can be very bad., it can drive a child to get into a bad group of peers crime/drugs alcohol .

Sadly, and for some time now, irresponsible people have become incompetent parents and these children are growing up, after having no boundaries, no discipline, often exposed to trauma and addiction, sometimes abused, and in many cases simply just surviving in a world of pain and suffering. These kids grow into teenagers who live a life of crime - theft, ram raids, horrific violence on members of the public and more recently, here in New Zealand, we're hearing of 13 year olds stabbing people. Thirteen years old and committing murders!! I'm sick and tired of it!!! Parents these days are failing at it! Big time! And I've had a gutsfull!!! So should the government step up and take control... absolutely they should!! Punish these parents. On this social media thing...? Ask the family of a 13 year old girl who recently took her own life due to the online bullying and harassment she'd been suffering

since I'm not a parent thus no comment

Obviously you have never had any contact with Children's Services who teach the children that they can do no wrong are free to do whatever they like and if they are pulled up and told to stop this is ABUSE. They are a strange crowd Children's Services as at a meeting I was told if I changed my infant's daughters dirty nappy this was sexual abuse which I thought was great as I could run a mile whenever she needed changing and say I'm not going to be held responsible for abusing her. Or the Social Worker who was berating the parents of a girl and telling her how badly she had been abused when the girl stabbed her witht he knife that the parents would not allow her to carry. While I will agree there are some sick puppies out there I do not believe that there are child abusers behind every blade of grass and I think that the Children's Services are carried away with the claims that they make but because they see the worst in some people they tend to believe that everyone behaves that way except themselves. As for Antisocial Media even the Platforms have rules in place that you can not be under a certain age which they themselves ignore and do nothing to stop young children from opening accounts mainly because they measure their success in the number of registered users that they have so it is not in their best interests to stop children joining and being exposed to lots of stuff that they can not comprehend or understand. The Algorithms that those places use lead all users down rabbit holes to only show them what they want to see and not a balanced view of what is actually going on and simply because of that they all need to be disbanded.

so much youth crime and no one mentions the parents

With all the stabbings, stealing cars and violence committed by young teens these days, something needs to be done to punish them for their crimes. What I do not understand is where are the parents letting their kids run riot in the community and where is the discipline. My parents were so strict with me growing and I when did get into a little trouble, boy was I punished severely for my indiscresations and I turned out to be a responsible adult. What now worries me as I am getting older I feel vulnerable and no longer feel safe in the community especially at night, so now I have a personal alarm that I carry with me all the time. Parents need to be punished every time for all crimes their children commit, not just a slap on the wrist.Edited 24-May-24 14:13pm

Yes very poor parenting and is it because there is no discipline these days? No one can touch them not even the authorities. Teachers are threaten daily by not just students but the parents as well. I am certainly glad we don't have to deal with many people because if they can they would take your last dollar off you and throw you to the wolves. In fact I'd be quite glad to get off this so called earth as do we really have a life if we can't feel safe in our own homes, are too scared to leave the house. What sort of life is that? Not a very happy one and it's only getting worse.

I can't see how they can police the age of people as they would just lie to gain access and do it behind their parents' backs anyway.

Some parents these days don't seem to care, they let their little monsters run wild, with no respect for others or their possessions and life is just one big game.

Surely parenting is for parents to do, not the government.

Parents need to take mor control of their kids habits.

You have to have a licence to have a pet dog, but anybody (almost) have kids. What does that tell you?

Sounds like a good idea

It is such a hard job being a parent. No instruction book, if you were lucky to have good parents and you had a model to refer to, great. But not everyone has this. I tackled the scourge of Facebook thus with my daughter. I set one up for her when she was under 16, but I had the password and I told her that I would check in regularly to see what is being posted. It was only one circumstance that she broke the rule about posting something nasty, and I took her around to the other girl's home and made her apologise. Later on she was being bullied online and she went by herself to report it to the school. There was a meeting between the girls involved, my daughter, a school teacher and myself. My daughter sniggered a bit and I told her off in front of everyone, made it quite clear it was a very serious issue and that all of them must follow the teacher's instructions. Im proud to say my daughter has grown into a very responsible young woman, she lives a clean life and is mindful of laws. You need to communicate with your kids right from birth, it only gets more complex. It's not up to governments, it's up to parents, extended family, friends..pretty much all of us. It takes a village to raise a child.

hi again Mopes...ty

It all comes down to old fashioned discipline which doesnt seem to exist these days. I was horrified to read Morthers exploiting their kidds on social media to gain freebies and money.

social media comes with benefits but I believe the detrimental affect it has on teenagers outlays the benefits. Legislation will help but policing near impossible without constant supervision by eg a parent . So its not free pass.

Why don't we ask one of these poor parents who have lost a child through online bullying about this? I'm sure they were desperate to try and protect them from social media ,yet the horse has already bolted. Government regulation would simply be adding another layer of protection for kids. End of arguments in the home as to why they can't have an account just because their friend up the road does. Social media platforms need to be held more accountable for what children are viewing.Schools insist all kids use computers for work . Mobile phones are looked upon as good safety features by parents to keep in touch with their children also. These devices obviously come with all the apps and temptations. Children are naturally and rightly so inquisitive. Holding Tiktok and fbook accounts can be legislated for age appropriateness, the same as gambling sites for example. Many parents are at their wits end trying to navigate technology and the kids know how to use it better than they do. They can put parental blocks on sure but guaranteed the kids will have a way around that at school or through another friends account. Government legislations may just help with these issues ?

Parents don’t say NO and the kids run the house

I never used social media when I was a child, my parents had nothing to do with that, the government didn't stop me, who did it then, we'll call it was common sense. Or maybe we'll call it technology. Now who's fault is it these days? the Phone is a vicious creature. no consideration for the child.

HELLO Mopos...

It is beyond time that Parents started taking Full Responsibility for their children and what tey do. How many reports, already in their 10s of 1000s have to be publicised about the Dangers of those ill-named Social Media sites? How many thousands of times have we had Parents and Bleeding Hearts going to the media to complain that their children have been groomed by some piece of filth? They then demand that "The Government" do something. Why? Why don't they do something themselves? Why don't they ban their children grom using those sites? As I understand it there are Parental Control Programmes on the Internet which are Free to use so that Parents can lock their children out of using sites which they don't think their children should be accessing. Has this all come about because so many parents today start dumping their children with strangers to look after them from a very early ages such as Under ONE year old and they continue this until their children are almost classed as Adults? Parents and their supporters are demanding that the Government, read Other Taxpayers, should provide them with Free Childcare - Pre, During and After School Care. Why should those who choose not to have children, or are unable to do so, be forced to provide the money to pay for the care of other people's children? When are parents going to start actually Caring for and bringing up their own children? They choose to breed and if that means one of them has to stay at home and look after Their Children so be it. We have seen reports that in Alice Springs mobs of Children are running amok late at night, destroying property and intimidating people. The Bleeding Hearts and Community Leaders demand that The government should do something to stop it and when they do get off their self-satisfied backsides and introduce a Curfew they get loudly criticised for doing so, Not once have any of the Community Leaders and their Bleeding Heart supporters asked: Where are the Parents whilst their children are out and about late at night? Or is that a question which for reasons of Political Correctness cannot be asked incase it offends some parent or others? We don't care who you are but if you have children then it is YOUR Responsibility to look after them, just as our Parents did when we were children.

Kids are having kids, and that's generally a recipe for ... disaster. Not always, but sometimes. Occasionally, the parent/s makes the right choices and essentially grows up rather quickly, which is great - more power to 'em. But often that, unfortunately, does not happen, and the poor little mite generally pays for that. So, I guess the government has a slight role in 'picking up the slack' where that is concerned. But they seem hell-bent on making the job more difficult for them and parents who are doing ok, at it. Must have something to do with the next upcoming election. Go figure....

most parents are responsible,BUT I also blame the schools and others for the current climate. I had an incident a few weeks ago,when a child didnt even know how to use a common telephone cos they werent taught. Social media has effectively killed off kids,BUT they dont care.All they are worried about is their bottom line and the advertising...... Its also upto the parents to 'control' their kids and their devises

the parents are to blame for these little monsters all self important

It's irrelevant that people are born in this world free. I understand making business but who is a stranger or business trying to tell people how to do things. The need that alot of those types don't have any themselves the easy need to find ways to accumalate people without having any. Just like an organised to with arrange or sell do ways the difference As for social media I allow mine to use but there's a difference apps as far as I'm aware just like a person working behind a desk accumalated to sort into something else to want to know people personal or privacy what could there intentions be just like those not wanting to do papers or any such health can be difficult to prove, electronically by things used on a browser can disappear and in person and for paper can easily be shredded or burnt. A business was created because people would rather put there work first or therefore hey we all might have a problem 🙂Edited 24-May-24 10:22am

If parents want the State to block social media, it's because those people are not true parents. They want to be best buddies with their children & give them no rules. You are the parent not the Government or anyone else. Grow a backbone & do what is the right thing for your child. Parenting & setting an example for your child is your job, not anyone else's.

We are seeing a lot of criminal acts by young people because of lack of discipline in the home and when they are caught, they get a slap over the wrist and released. They had a scheme in America some years ago that young ones were placed in jail for a day and all the roughest of inmates told them all that would happen to them if they were jailed. This worked and I don't know why they stopped it.

Australian parents are divided on whether the government should legislate age restrictions for social media. Supporters argue that it protects children from potential harm, while critics emphasize parental responsibility. Practical challenges, such as enforcement and tech-savvy kids, also come into play. Striking a balance between autonomy and protection remains crucial. Recent discussions in Australia propose parental consent requirements for users under 16, aiming to address these concerns. Ultimately, fostering open communication between parents, children, and educators is essential in navigating the complexities of social media use

The simplest way is don't buy them a smart phone, just get them a phone or if it must be a smart phone, block the apps.

there is no such thing as poor parenting everyone is just doing their darn best......

parents cannot do that due to peer pressure and being left out. Yes government should step in, set the age limit. HOUND THE SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES AND FINE THEM for allowing certain content that is damaging our society.

the first teaching start in our home ;it's not at school ,no with friends , that it's wrong way to guide them🙃

Maybe the parent THESE parents need a few months in CONTROLLED environment, They need to experience what they want for others. LAZY and irresponsible. VERY SAD

Blaming someone else is SOP for people who won't take responsibility for their own actions (or lack of).

IF the kids go to school on a regular basis there should be a class on RESPONSIBLE PARENTING AND RESPECT! I got all my lessons for the above from my parents.

No Access to a computer, tablet or smart phone.When I was a child I played baseball,tennis, basketball,play checkers and board games.Family fun time.

Don't give the US parents any ideas! One of our local PA school districts is banning phones for kids and teachers alike! Didn't parents ever hear of freedomof speecha nd freedom of the press? If they don't want their brats online, they have a programme on most phones for controlling what social media their kids can access. However, most kids today are pretty damned good hackers themselves! BTW I keep hearing re the 'dark web' yet how one gets to the damned thing does not seem to be known so- how do we know there is such a thing as a 'dark web'? Have a happy and safe holiday weekend and remember us Vets. Some are like me- lonely shut-ins ignored by friends and families alike. My brother won't visit me because I like cops and he hates them. If I did drop my police pals I seriously doubt if Pete would come and see me at all!

If you are a parent of young children you are responsible for their behavior and everything they do. I have seen many young children who are not of school age with phones in their hands playing games etc. Some parents give them a phone just to make it easier for themselves.

People are strange creatures. They want the government to stop being a nanny state yet they keep coming up with things they want the government to nanny them over. Even if this law were enacted, parents would still have to ensure their kids are not signing up to these sites (I am sure that many of these sites would just have a little tick box for "you must be 18 or older to enter this site" or, even if they "checked id" they would not even care if the id were fake and they don't have the time or real business reason to care)

lol.. and kids will find any and all ways to exactly what an adult, specifically a parent, tells them to do

TY,Michelle s, have a great day

Government should regulate. That simple has nothing to do with parenting. Kids have a lot of freedoms nowadays caused by the very governments you voted for. Discipline and poor parenting should not be mixed up. The government should do what's right not what's socially acceptable. The social media platforms that you and others are on should pay their taxes to now help kids that have a pile of mental health problems caused by the very platforms that have caused thise issues. STOP BLAMING THE PARENTS FOR GOD SAKE.

I dont think they are asking the government to do there parenting I think there are to many scams and herasements going on so I think the government should step in to help not only that but kids are on there phones all the time so they need to be banded at school

The latest lockdown of the country by the gov't proved its incapacity to be wise in its actions, so even less so should be expected for this topic. Plus this is an 'in' for the gov't the citizens should not want.

I live alone so im not invovled in parenting anymore

Policing children's behavior never works especially if it is done by fear, force or compliance. I would prefer that parents emphasize that money, technology tools and money are helping tools to create positive items instead of using them as hurtful, manipulative tools.

so many children have computers in their rooms for homework I think it would be hard to police them all the time. If a child really wanted to go behind their backs they probably could get away with it. The thing is their children should be brought up well enough to listen to their parents so they don't have to be watching them 24/7. it is a lot harder today for parents who do bring up children right only to have those who are not brought up right to tempt them with everything that is out there. You do have to give them those morals early though,and give them a good example.

Kids will always find away around the laws and rules no matter what is done. Too many parents want everyone else to guide their kids. It will end up in one big clusterf#@%

To many parents don't care what their kids do

Poor parenting is a major problem that we are facing. Love without boundaries is the driving force behind it. So where do we draw the line. We all must have discipline, and look at ourselves in the mirror, and ask ourselves what the hell am I doing, not talking eye to eye with my children. Parents that is your number one priority.

HI THERE Susan KFC,TY

Parenting is a full time job, a huge responsibility, and from my experience, not to be taken lightly! In these times the choice can be made to have children or not, and if you do, learn how to be a responsible, caring, loving parent, which also includes boundaries. It is definitely not the government’s responsibility…

They do, what we do, if we want our kids to have better habbits...we need to model that our selves.

The parents buy their technology in the first place, the burden is on them. What next? Ask the government to intervene because your kids eat too much junk food? They're under your roof, so your rules, end of.

It should be the parents they are the ones bringing up the children not the government.

TYVM Norman "Ontario" ....

Too much of blame someone else

TO BE A PARENT MEANS WATCHING AND TEACHING YOUR CHILDERN THE RIGHT WAY,OTHERWISE SHOULDEN'T HAVE CHILDREN,IT'S YOUR JOB AND NOBODY ELSE.

It's YOUR JOB as parents to take care of your children! NOT ANYBODY ELSE!

POOR parenting skills......SHOULD never have been allowed to have children......HOW hard is it to CALCULATE you are not parent material.......

I believe it is not always the parents fault. I believe sometimes it's the governments fault for stepping in when it's not necessary. I do believe that children can be overbearing and un-ruling by not listening to anyone. I do believe it is the parents job to have a loving and firm foundation built for them to grow on. You also have to have respect and honesty for each other in order for it work.Edited 24-May-24 02:53am

I think the government should just out of how parents should raise their children.

they should raise the age to 65...social media is nothing but trouble.... run by greedy evil people.... Edited 24-May-24 02:20am

These days parents indulge their children in things they want. We never asked nor wanted or expected things from our parents. We were happy playing with what we had. Children are spoiled. Then you hear parents cannot afford this or that yet you see all these thousands of dollars of toys and electronic equipment in their homes. Unfortunately parents can cause issues in children's upbringing by over indulging.

I don't want government involved in Anything!

Parenting is certainly different today, I feel sorry for those parents who have instilled a moral compass into their kids only to be met with ammoral actions from children at school, it's hard

it's a different generation but a good structured, balanced home life along with nutrition and Commnication is the best way to stay in touch with today's youth. Old fashion days had family time gatherings and discipline that's something no one does today, I was a single parent of one child and I knew where my child was and kept trace of him always talked and he had discipline I think if the government has to control your children then something in the home is missing. Kids are so lost they want just to be loved.

I agree to a certain point. Alot of the parents rights have been taken away. Kids have too much stuff nowadays. If you give them a time out for instance they have so many other things to do. I think they need to allow parents to discipline their children

It's the fault of the parents.

I fully agree with you, Paula J 395266.

I think kids are growing up so poorly today is the fault of the parents. They ate letting then run amok and definitely without a moral compass .Is it any wonder that that this generation is very amoral. It's not to me.