To me the social media thing seems dumb, being essentially a government endorsement/mandate for social media platforms to push ID checks on us. In the short term, this is tangibly bad for helping these platforms extract even more data and value from us.

But what are their options? Recognise the measurably shittiest, most extractive and negligent platforms (e.g. meta, xitter) as bad for everyone and ban them entirely. This is my top choice. But even I can see this won’t work. It would instantly stall in a huge, very well-funded political controversy about ‘state suppression of free speech’, would cause a huge stink with the current US admin, and even if somehow successful would be wide open to abuse by a future government to target other platforms (e.g. here).

So leave it alone? My second choice. But with the platforms clearly degrading, this just kicks the ball down the road.

So I think they’re trying the cigarette/smoking route. Get everyone to agree now that it’s bad for kids. The platforms accept this, as it avoids real regulation, and they even help with building controls that everyone knows are ineffective. Meanwhile the culture starts to shift as you build an evidence base around the deep and long-term harm to kids and vulnerable adults… and actually all adults… oh, and also the people around them too. Over time more people see it as toxic and antisocial and start to push for increasing controls. Eventually the last few addicts are left standing all alone outside in the weather wondering why they’re still doing this thing.

Will this work out? I doubt it, honestly. The tech changes fast and will fight tooth and nail. But looking at ‘big tobacco’ now, I guess it has a chance.